


The Fall

by D3ath_0ps



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Drama, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Meet the Family, What does it mean to be strong?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2018-10-11 22:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 131,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10475358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D3ath_0ps/pseuds/D3ath_0ps
Summary: Savage predators are plaguing the streets of Zootopia and the prejudice in the city is worsening. Edward Snow, a wolf, predator, and writer for the newspaper company, the Daily Gazette, returns sorrowfully to his boring work-life. Not only will he face being judged by who he is as a predatory animal, he'll be tasked with creating the story of the century, or face unemployment.





	1. A Savage World

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to the team that made the hit movie Zootopia possible, the loving community that drove me to create this work, and my editor DrummerMax64 who worked with me to forge this fic into what it is now.
> 
> Thank you all from the bottom of my heart,  
> -D3ath_0ps
> 
> THE WORLD OF ZOOTOPIA, CHARACTERS, AND ENVIRONMENT CREATED BY THE ZOOTOPIA TEAM ARE OWNED BY WALT DISNEY AND DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS. I CLAIM NO OWNERSHIP OF THE WORLD AND THE ENVIRONMENT THIS STORY IS SET IN.

 

Art by Ziegelzeig

 

* * *

 

_The she-wolf cupped the side of her son's muzzle as he hunched over the left side of her hospital bed, tears seeping from his eyes and falling onto the white bed sheets that covered her frail body. She was trying her hardest to comfort him as much as she could, but figured that it was for the best to let it be. Beside her son was his mate, the love of his life that she had come to know over the years. Her paw_ — _or rather, her hoof_ — _squeezed tightly around her son’s arm. She was having just as much trouble holding back her tears as he was. Wasn't she supposed to be the strongest out of the two of them?_

_To the right of the female wolf was none other than her husband, her mate. The one that brought many happy years to her life and three wonderful children that filled their days with sheer happiness. He was everything to her, and her to him. Deep down, they didn't want to let each other go. It was far too soon to say goodbye after everything they'd been through. But, despite what either of them wanted, nothing could stop the cancer that ate away at her very soul. She counted herself lucky that she had gotten to know him, and that they had spent the better part of their years together. It hurt to know that she would be leaving him alone in this world._

_It was for this reason that she didn't even turn her head to him. She knew that no matter how strong he wanted to be, the fur around his eyes were also damp and stained with his tears. They had already spoken with one another, said their final promises and goodbyes, and yet she wished that they had more time._

_The wolf quipped to herself why everyone was so miserable, but eventually the light thought slip away into the sterile air._

_There was something far more pressing on her mind than sadness, something that she'd regret if she didn't act on it right at that moment. That something was the one last thing she wanted to say, that she_ needed _to say. She didn't have much time now._

_Her lips parted and smiled as wide as she could while she spoke to her youngest kin._

_"You were one of the best things to ever happen in my life. Never forget it."_

_Reflecting on what her son had become in the twenty-four years of his life, she was glad that she could see him grow up to be_ something _in this world. He wasn't the little pup she used to know anymore. He was a full-grown wolf now. Strong, wise, and caring, he was the perfect alpha wolf for the next generation._

_And she was happy. Happy that she got to raise such a wonderful son, and happy that he'd become something they were both proud of._

_She spoke up as much as she could, a hint of raspiness catching on her throat, "I love you, Edward."_

_"I-I love you too mom," he sobbed._

_"Ed…" With her remaining ounces of strength, she gave him one last smile._ I'll see you again soon, my little pup, _her final thought echoed._

_In that moment, a snow-white paw fell gracefully back onto the bed, followed by a high-pitched ring that filled the somber silence of the hospital room the group was in. She was at peace._

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

"Hey, Ed?" a deep voice rumbled, startling the silver-furred animal lost in his own thoughts as he sat in his office chair, oblivious to what was going on around him. "Earth to Ed?"

The wolf looked away from his computer to find a tall male tiger leaning nonchalantly on the side of his desk. Adorned on his wrist was a gleaming silver watch, and on his body was a light green button-up shirt and denim jeans. It was a usual style for this particular animal, and it never really varied past that.

That detail was the only clue he needed, apart from that sinisterly cheeky grin, to let him know that this mammal was none other than his childhood friend and coworker, Charles Clawson.

Edward awkwardly flashed a convincing smile. "What's up Charles?"

"Well, if you're done staring into space _and_ holding the semicolon key," he chuckled, "Anders and I were gonna go grab some lunch."

The wolf's head snapped back to his computer screen in a nervous panic. _Biscuits,_ he cursed quietly as he clumsily highlighted nearly a page and a half's worth of symbols. Was it obvious that his head wasn't entirely there at the office? Once his surplus of semicolons had disappeared from existence, Edward covered his flustered eyes with his paw.

"So, did you wanna come with? Or not?" the tiger giggled helplessly.

Through a space in between his fingers, the blue eyes of the canid mammal stared at the document in abhorrence. If he were being truthful, he wanted more than anything to pry himself away from the prison that was his desk. A slow day with an even slower writing process was painful, to say the least.

Besides, the world outside wasn't exactly a friendly place according to the press and other stories he'd heard, and being a wolf only added more of a reason to stay firmly planted at his work desk.

It seemed so strange to him how the city had suddenly transformed in the blink of an eye. The streets and buildings around the downtown area were abnormally quiet, Savannah Central had begun seeing protestors, and everyone around him seemed incredibly tense. If he had any choice he'd rather not delve into _that_ topic around the mammals he worked with, especially in the news scene. His introverted mindset not even remotely eager to open that can of worms. He could feel the awkwardness just thinking about it…

A deep cleansing of the tiger's throat reminded him that Charles was still standing next to him.

Edward let out a calming sigh, trying his best to keep the smile he had before. "Not really. Thanks for the offer though."

He turned his head away from the now disappointed look that attempted to stare him down to his very core. He tried to ignore the stare as his paws transferred back to their place on the keyboard. A couple of his fingers twitched around the different keys, attempting to find the right words to type into the document. At the top of his screen was the title of the article that he'd been working on since he arrived at about eight o'clock that morning: _Preds Going Savage: The Biological Connection_. The title was still a work in progress, so of course it was terrible.

According to his clock, a grueling four hours had already passed, and he found himself caught in the repeated cycle of typing and deleting entire sentences and paragraphs. Currently, there were only two paragraphs on the page, and at this pace, he was getting nowhere fast.

Edward was convinced. The dreaded writer's block had now inhabited itself deep within the confines of his mind, and the fact that his work was centered on something so sensitive only made his apprehension worse.

If it were up to him, he would have never taken the topic in a million years, considering the recent events that had transpired in the city since the ZPD's press conference regarding the missing mammals case. It seemed like it was a realm of chaos outside the comfort of his office, and he had neither the intention nor will of stirring up the masses more than they already were.

But, alas, the boss of one of Zootopia's top news outlets, the _Daily Gazette_ , decided to assign one of the few predators working there to write about the current events in the city. And it just _had_ to be about prejudice and the dissidence between predators and prey, when he was just returning from one of the darkest weeks of his entire life. The timing of it all was utterly infuriating.

Charles, who still occupied the space beside Edward's desk, leaned over and inspected his monitor. A mild blush and a sense of uncomfortableness swooped over the wolf, making the already short predator feel smaller as he awkwardly cleared his throat, pushing his chair an inch or two away from his station so that he didn't bump into the tiger. Charles adjusted his glasses, reading the bold title at the top of the screen.

"So _that's_ who they got writing this? Geez, talk about rough."

"Tell me about it," Edward agreed, rolling his eyes, "On top of that they want it by the end of the day too."

"Seriously? That's ridiculous! When did you get it assigned?"

"Yesterday morning. By Horn herself."

"Wait, Danielle assigned this? On your first couple days back?" Charles rubbed his neck, a lighthearted chuckle emanating from his muzzle as he jokingly muttered, "It looks like the boss has it out for you, Ed."

It was Edward's turn to laugh a little, despite the fact his ears were practically pressed against his head. Even with this ludicrous request from his boss, he had an idea of where she was coming from.

"After my last article, I wouldn't be surprised. Didn't it take the whole department just to calm some animals down? Who would have thought writing about a musician would spark so much outrage?"

The _Gazette_ surely didn't appreciate all of the hate mail that poured in that day. Edward was sure that after the dust had settled, his head would be on a figurative pike, and his job along with it. Although, he couldn't help but question why the editor even featured the article to his boss in the first place. Even when Edward tried to rectify the situation and bring the issue to the head of the company, Danielle Horn herself, all she could issue out was a proper scolding for him writing the story in the first place. There was no winning the battle at that point it seemed.

In his defense, he never actually meant to send that particular file—well, _files—_ at all. What had actually happened was that he'd intended to send a collection of other stories he made the week before he took off on a long-awaited honeymoon. But, to his dismay, the only story in the _entire_ collection to make it onto the paper was the one that almost got him fired.

"Maybe they just have a bad taste in music?" Charles tried to reassure him.

"I'd believe you."

They both shared a soft chuckle as a paw shook the wolf's shoulder.

"Well, since you're stuck at the office, you want me to pick up something for you?"

Edward anxiously rubbed his neck and looked away from the tiger, admiring the limited view outside their office window. "I think I'll be fine…"

Charles was unconvinced. "You sure Ed? You're gonna need a little something to get through this monster." Edward's indecisiveness showed as he debated with himself, and his friend wasn't about to budge. "Tell you what, I'll even throw in a coffee for you. My treat."

The wolf's head tilted in confusion for a moment, then fully processed his friend's words. Coffee and a meal? Needless to say, he was shocked. To say it was unexpected was an understatement.

"Seriously?" Edward graciously asked in a light tone, trying his hardest not to sound ungrateful. "You don't have to do that—"

"Absolutely I do." Charles gave a firm nod and a caring tone, putting a paw on the wolf's shoulder. "Someone's gotta look out for you, especially after the past couple of weeks."

Knowing full well what he was referring to, Edward let out a feeble reply. "Yeah…"

"Anyways, I'm gonna grab Anders and we'll get something. Caesar salad sound good?"

He took no time to nod at one of his favorite meals.

"Cool. I'll see you in an hour, Ed."

"See you."

Edward watched as the tiger sped down the hallway towards the area where their pig coworker resided, then finally glanced back at his computer screen.

To his dismay, not a single element on the page hadn't been changed since his talk with Charles. Even his cursor had remained stagnant. It stared back at him as it faded in and out of existence, taunting him with every blip. More and more precious seconds passed him by. He let out a breath.

_If only the article would finish itself._

As he continuously stared aimlessly at the monitor, Edward eventually started to hone in on his ears in the screen's reflection. Slowly, his eyes managed to catch the rest of his features. Droopy ears, bags under his eyelids, a small frown, and messy, second-day old fur. He was a wreak.

His thoughts began to wander once again as he laid back into his chair, staring upward at the ceiling. First thought about his mother at the hospital, how he missed her immensely. Then he thought about the recent news he'd caught wind of, being the proper news junkie he was. Savagery. He couldn't help but wonder. What if he managed to turn savage? What if he'd hurt the people around him?

What if he'd turn during work hours? He could very well be a danger to the entire floor. So, what would stop Horn if she decided to let him go? He could be dangerous—

Quickly recognizing the negative—as well as anxious—atmosphere enveloping him, he took a deep breath and firmly shook it off, his paws rubbing at his eyes before going back to work. There was no way that he'd be fired for who he was. That was against the law, end of story. He tapped his frustration away bit by bit on his keyboard.

While he wrote, he gave a light chuckle as his mind sarcastically thought to itself, _Should I even say it?_   Meanwhile, on the inside, he desperately hoped and prayed that the day couldn't get any worse for him.

Soon enough, he managed to keep a steady groove as words flowed slowly onto the page. At his pace, he could have probably matched his speed to that of a sloth's. Eventually, he found an hour had quickly passed him by, and he now had a distracting kink in his neck, back and arms. At least he managed to get another couple of paragraphs into his article.

Edward stood up out of his office chair and stretched his aching limbs one by one. His gaze swept over the heads of the different animals that worked on his floor and finally outside the windows of the 34th floor of their building. In his scan he couldn't find any sign of Charles or his pig counterpart, Anders.

Eager to receive his food and loathing the thought of returning to his duties, Edward pushed in his chair and slowly wandered over to the long glass window to take in the view.

As soon as he got right up against the window, he put his paw lightly against the glass and honed in on the streets below, spotting all of the different species of mammals wandering the streets of downtown Zootopia—or at least trying to. From the height he was at, the animals below looked like furry little ants scurrying around on the sidewalk—besides the elephants of course—in a very systematic and clean manner.

At this point in the workday, nearly every working mammal in the office buildings was entering the mid-day shuffle. It was common that all of the restaurants in the buildings below would be packed to full capacity, which meant that if you didn't order your food in advance, finding somewhere to eat would be a challenge. Surely the staff members of those restaurants were begging for their own lunch break at this time of day. Edward certainly would be.

Out over the horizon was a sight to behold. Being as high as they were in the skyline, their position in the building allowed them to view the vastness of the Zootopian Bay, the shores of the Sahara District, the outreaches of Savannah Central, and the entirety of downtown all the way down to the beach. If he were standing to the side of the building to his right in the fourth row of desks near the boss's office, he could see the vista of the Rainforest District. As always the boss's office had the better view of this specific angle, and it looked magnificent from that room. Directly diagonal from that area was the view of the snowy cloud surrounding Tundratown. The "view" on the opposite side of where Edward was standing was another office building, which didn't really show off any sort of view other than the mammals sitting at their own desks on the other side.

Although, there was that sticky note war around a year ago that completely took over the lunch hour. Was it still going on? Edward couldn't remember. He hadn't even considered walking over to the other side of the floor since he'd returned. Maybe he'd go look after he finished eating.

The sun made the high-rise buildings shine like stars, nearly blinding the onlooking wolf. The water looked magnificent as it crashed along the shores, the few animals who appeared to have all the free time in the world completing the pleasant scene as they happily ran up and down the beach. Just looking at the view nearly made all of his negative energy float away with the wind.

If Edward had the option, he would just stand in the spot he was in right now and stare at the setting forever. If only he hadn't had his job and an adequate paycheck. Even now he still held onto the hope that with the money he earned and put in savings he could acquire a new apartment in one of the taller buildings downtown, that way he could one day experience this beautiful skyline every day.

However, he would have to make do with his current situation: the "Grand Pangolin Arms. _'Luxury Apartments, with Charm'._ " He could imagine the old armadillo now.

Out of the corner of his eye, just outside the Sahara District, he noticed a small boat coasting over the waves of the bay. A twinge of jealousy overcame him. How he would love to feel the breezy cool air flowing through his fur and the smell of the sea filling his nose…

"Woah, what's with the huge stain Charlie?"

Both of Edward's ears twitched. He honed in on the familiar name as he pushed the scene away from his thoughts. He turned around and stared confusingly at the small pack that stood around his desk.

Leaning against his work-space was Charles, a group of four of Edward's other coworkers standing in an arc around him. They were all giggling happily along with the tiger. For a second, Edward wondered why, but he quickly put the pieces together.

Nearly half of Charles's pristine green shirt was drenched in a hideous brown.

The tiger laughed it off and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, some cutie bumped into me on the way out. I'm not too worried though, I got a spare shirt at my desk."

The lone badger in the group snickered. "You at least got her number, right?"

"I think I would have had more luck as a sheep," Charles cackled. "What do you think, could I pull off wool and stripes?"

Everyone burst out laughing as Charles struck a pose. Edward couldn't help but chuckle along with them at the absurd pose his friend was making. Did the time away make him forget the tiger's comedic charm?

Looking at their phones and watches the group said their goodbyes and fled to their desks, leaving Charles to wait for his wolf friend. In his paw was a large sized coffee with the Snarlbucks logo printed on the protective cardboard sleeve. On Edward's desk was another large sized coffee and a Styrofoam to-go container that was undoubtedly the salad he was offered.

The wolf walked over to the tiger, greeted by a deep voice and warm arms. "There you are! Thought you may have left for the day or something. More coffee and food for me, right?"

"Well, it seems like you got more than enough for today." Edward hinted glumly, gesturing at Charles's stained clothing.

"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh, "Good thing I got a spare though. Let me tell you, between you and me, I've never seen someone go as far as intentionally tripping me to get attention before. I was lucky enough to save one coffee."

Edward was confused. Wasn't it accidental? "Intentionally? Why would you say that?"

"Well, after her whole posse laughed it off and called me a 'dumb pred,' it's hard not to put two and two together."

Edward was appalled. Intentionally tripping another animal just for a laugh? The wolf began to fume as his arms folded over his chest. "What did you do?"

"I apologized, got back in line and pretended the whole thing never happened." Charles shrugged. "Thought it would be best not to start anything. Anders though, he almost lost it. Could you imagine him going off on a bunch of sheep? I would've _paid_ to see that."

"That would be funny…" Edward uttered, looking down at his boxed salad and drink.

The divide between predators and prey was getting worse it seemed, and his friend was a prime example.

"But, that aside, I managed to get you a Caesar salad and a medium coffee, two creams. It's not a five-star meal, but its lunch."

"Thanks again Charlie… A-Are you sure you don't want me to pay you back for it?"

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I could never repay everything you've done for me. It's 'cause of you that I've got this job to begin with. Plus, you've saved my hide more than enough times than I'd ever admit, I think it's the least I could do. So, eat up. I gotta change my shirt. I'll see you 'round."

"See ya…" Edward trailed off before they exchanged a quick fist-bump, Charles parting with his coffee in paw and en route to his own desk.

The wolf turned his head and stared at the box and cup, still not fully convinced they were his yet. Just having the drink and salad on his desk brought a sense of warmth to his heart that hadn't been there for quite a while. Maybe the world wasn't such a bad place as he thought.

Edward picked up the cell phone lying on the left side of his keyboard and quickly set an alarm to go off in forty minutes time. Although he had an hour left in his shift, leaving early became a definite possibility since he only had one assignment for the entire day. All he had to push through was that dreaded writer's block.

After plugging the charger cable into his phone, he swiped his mouse and minimized the window containing his nearly complete work, opening the Internet browser. In the address bar, he typed in the URL for the Zootopia News Network and waited patiently for it to load. The news was a common pastime for the lunch hour, and made the day go by quicker.

As soon as the page fully loaded, Edward was greeted with the news company's logo and the newest headline story. Today it read: _Three More Predators Gone Savage, Now Twenty-Three Confirmed Cases._ With a scowl he quickly scrolled past the headline to the other topics below.

He started attempting to read off each title on his screen, but was distracted when he opened his box of greens. Growls roared in his stomach as his mouth salivated—it looked magnificent. Better than bugs any day of the week. He tore apart the wrap from his plastic cutlery and singular napkin and pulled his food close. A click of his mouse brought him to the first article as a bite of scrumptious lettuce leaves entered his muzzle.

The first story was about the new renovations being made at the Natural History Museum and how work was being completed quicker than expected.

Edward remembered the museum pretty well. Long before he became a journalist, he was a nerdy, anxious young pup attending school like any other young mammal at his age. One day, the class took a day out of their busy schedule to attend a field trip to the heart of Zootopia for their history class. Because of how long the distance was between the Tri-Burrows and the city, his mother had agreed to chaperone and tour along with his class through the Museum of Natural History.

There, they learned more about the pact that predators and prey made to coexist without the need for violence. If memory served him well, he would always be the one to hold up the entire class to absorb every single piece of information from every plaque and every display. At times, he and some others, his mother included, dreamt that he could've been a history teacher or a librarian with the amount of time he spent reading about animal history in school, but in the end always settled with his passion for writing. Edward couldn't even remember most of what he was taught anyway. It was incredibly boring stuff.

According to ZNN's sources, the new renovations included some long-awaited maintenance on a few of the exhibits and systems in the building and some new displays featuring some newly acquired artifacts from distant countries around the world. The museum was set to open the following summer.

Finishing up the first article in record time, Edward jumped past a story featuring an interview with a doctor about the savage predators to someone who made a lasting impression on his own career as of late. This next story involved the pop star Gazelle, the cover image of her sporting red flashy attire at one of her famous concerts nearly covering the entire screen. He rolled his eyes. If it weren't for the title, he would have skipped this article entirely just at the mention of the pop star. His cursor hovered over the back button before he managed to spot the word _prey_ in the paragraphs.

Against his better judgment, he inevitably conceded and gave it a chance. Thankfully, Edward wasn't disappointed. Apparently, there was a rumor going around that she would be taking part in organizing a protest against the recent prejudice that was plaguing the city. She gave the ZNN no comment about the subject.

A bite of salad chomped inside his mouth as a loving smile formed on his muzzle. If this story was, in fact, true and she was organizing this protest, the respect he had for her would go through the roof and to the stars. Maybe he and his wife could attend if they were lucky.

The next story on the chopping block talked about how crime was on the rise as more and more predators became victims of various hate-crimes around the city. Edward didn't have the nerve to read the rest.

Edward's fork angrily poked through the Styrofoam container, the squealing noise it made drawing his eyes toward the now empty box. He took the napkin and wiped off his face before sealing away his trash, the entire box ready to be thrown away later on. He grabbed the coffee sitting to the right of him and wisely blew into the small cavity. Taking a slow sip of his warm coffee, he continued to read.

The next article made him smile and blush like mad as he stared at the cover image.

The space program had finally unveiled their newest rocket, the RAM-12, in hopes of sending mammals further than the moon. Tests of the rocket late yesterday morning went flawlessly with no issues to be spoken of. Plans are in the works for a test launch of the Astro VI using the newest rockets. There was no set date, so it was up in the air about what could happen with the newest space technology.

Oddly enough, Edward already got this piece of intel last night, the reason being that his wife actually helped design the rocket. She was so excited when she came home from work, so delightfully giddy that this rocket finally tested well. He was genuinely happy for her, proud even. Unfortunately, she couldn't share much about the designs or the readings at the time—due to several corporate and governmental non-disclosure agreements—but she promised that it was spectacular. If only he could be in her shoes right now.

The next story was—

_B-bzzzz. B-bzzzz…_

His cell phone began shaking and vibrating, drawing his attention away from the news as his head shot over in its direction. A silent curse fluttered in his mind. He picked up the device and stared at the clock confirming that it was indeed correct. Time had passed by so quickly he didn't even realize that his forty minutes for lunch had expired. With a couple of swipes on his smartphone Edward disabled the alarm, then quickly closed the ZNN webpage.

A muffled groan escaped his muzzle as his cursor hovered over the tab that held his topic. After a minute of silent debate, he finally yielded and brought the document back up to full screen. For another solid minute, he stared at it aimlessly in deferment, thinking how much he didn't want to be a journalist in that moment. But, unfortunately, it was he who had chosen this career path willingly. No matter what topic was thrown at him, it was a job. Maybe he could spin it in a more positive direction?

Unable to spare any more time, Edward finally surrendered to his work as his paws moved gracefully and quickly around his keyboard. A familiar tune filled the desolate air, as he quietly remembered the lyrics to Gazelle's _Try Everything._ Words popped onto the document like clockwork. Soon a paragraph had been finished, then another. He had found his spirit for a moment, thanks to his wife.

_Leaving at three o'clock might not be such a pipedream after all_ , he thought with a newfound smile.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

In her office several rows away, the lone gazelle watched the grey-furred predator conspicuously through the metal blinds of her window. He was working diligently on his topic, and it looked like he'd found his footing. But, despite the avidness he displayed towards his work, something else loomed like a cloud right over his head, and Danielle could plainly notice it.

_Look at him_ , she thought to herself with a scowl, _sitting so nice and snug in his chair, like nothing's even happened. Do you think he's even considered it? Considered that he could be a danger to the entire floor?_

While she watched, one of her rabbit writers poked their head up from their desk and stared wide-eyed at her with a dazed expression.

A huff ended her gawking as the metal blinds harshly flicked back to their normally shut position. She turned to the right and began to stroll over to the table that held her water heater and coffee maker. A nice hot cup of green tea was exactly what she needed. It did wonders for bringing her peace in the more stressful times of her career, or even bliss in the best.

While she grabbed one of the three white porcelain mugs and began brewing her tea, she thought quietly to herself. She couldn't help but recall the news, the recent events. Not the trivial ‘save a life’, ‘corrupt politician’, or silly ‘celebrity’ kind. No, this news was the ‘concerning, should be wary’ kind.

This was about the predators. Those unpredictable, murderous _savages._

That wolf, sitting at his desk writing as he normally did, writing some terrible story about who knows what, was a _major_ concern. What if, somehow, he managed to turn right before her eyes? What if he were to harm—or even kill—the animals around him? She would be liable for their very lives.

She grabbed one of the spoons sitting next to her set of mugs, put a cube of sugar in the tea, and began to slowly stir as she walked over to the far end of the room, standing in front of the pane of glass. She looked outward to the Rainforest District, to her home, then took a small sip of her drink.

For the sake of her company and her workers, she had to take action to protect them. It was a shame that their protection meant losing one of the best writers on the floor. She honestly liked his work. However, there had to be a line drawn somewhere. The safety of her writers, editors, and staff could be at stake. Her father would've surely agreed. There would not and could not be any savagery in her company if she had any say in the matter.

However, there was the issue of how to even go about this. It seemed like another problem in and of itself.

_What to do,_ she thought coldly to herself. She couldn't just lay him off right then and there. With the work he'd done over the last two years, it wouldn't hold up anywhere if she fired him with no _real_ justification. For now, all she needed was time as well as patience. This was something that needed delicacy. Rushing it would only hurt her and her business in the long run. In the back of her mind, she silently hoped that some sort of opportunity would present itself to her.

She stared blankly at the forest beyond the downtown area as a nice sip of green tea slipped comfortably down her throat. Her opportunity would come. She had all the time in the world.


	2. Bad Blood

The mammal sitting across from the predator looked off into the distance as a light breath flowed out of the old man's nostrils. The young mammal almost felt the need to break his poise to crack a smile. Without even looking, he knew exactly what the old animal was staring at. Hanging along the dining room wall was a family portrait that he'd become quite familiar with over the years. Four animals smiled happily in the picture: a mother and father, a brother and a sister. As to the specific animal he was eyeing in the photograph was an easy question. It was his beaming little girl, not even ten years old yet when the picture was taken.

Twisting and fumbling around fluidly in the older mammal's paw was a small black box that he'd taken from the young predator only a minute prior, its owner still waiting patiently on the other side of the dining table with his paws clasped together.

"You really love her, don't you?" The old mammal finally spoke.

The younger animal across from him gave a simple nod and a firm answer. "Absolutely."

The small box stopped moving in the prey's grasp. His gaze didn't break away from the picture, and neither did the younger mammal. Despite the homely setting the space bore, the conversation held a completely different feeling. They were tense. Both mimicked the blank stare that only the police could recognize.

This was an interrogation, and the younger animal was willingly on the chopping block.  _Could that mammal sense his fear_ , the youngling wondered as the next question presented itself.

"Do you make her happy?"

Again, he shook his head in agreement.

"Good." Now his old eyes trained onto him, the younger animal impulsively tensed up as he continued. "I honestly didn't know what to expect when she brought you home. Then again, I thought that with every other guy that walked through the door. But you? Of all animals… you were the last on that list."

He brought the small box into both of his paws and looked downward.

"I've been by her side for the last twenty-five years of her life, protecting her from the dangers that this cruel world holds. Now you've come into my home, sat yourself down in my chair after years of being a couple, and ask me to give up my job… for this?"

There was something about the way he gestured towards the box that shook his determined spirit as a forceful gulp fell frightfully down his throat. After getting this far, he wouldn't,  _couldn't_  be swayed. He would not dare allow him to see his fear.

Out of the blue, a piano and the beauty of angelic vocals softly broke through the thick air around them. The music's timing could not have been any more perfect. It reminded him that they were in the comfort of a beautiful home, filled with family and friends. The ambiance of the lovely Christmas tune eased his mind. He prepared his ears for the next line of speech.

"So," the older mammal spoke, "I guess there's only one thing left to ask…"

The moment of truth.

"Will you... protect my little girl… and keep her safe?"

A chuckle escaped the younger animal. He wanted so badly to say to him how wrong his question was. How it would be his own daughter that would be protecting him, or how she was the strongest out of the both of them. It was quite obvious where she obtained all of her strength from.

With the sincerest tone he could muster, he gave his final answer with utmost confidence.

"With my very life."

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

The darkness in the window of the subway car lit up as they quickly passed a couple of bright yellow lights. Ed watched as they sped out of view and turned his head forward towards the train's window. He eyed every detail in the reflection of the glass: the plethora of other animals that were standing or sitting beside him embedded into their phones or tablets, the dim lights of the train car, even the walls of the tunnel they were in. Just watching everyone on their own devices nearly tempted him to take his own out of his pocket and check his text messages or z-mail account, but decided against it. He thought taking his phone out for the fourth time this train ride would look incredibly silly to the other animals standing next to him.

If he needed to answer something on his phone, he knew where to find it.

Feeling the sudden discomfort in his lower legs, he shuffled his feet a tad to wake them back up. He could feel the moisture on every strand of fur from his head to his toes. Just outside the comfort of the subway train and the tunnels that protected it was a huge and sudden storm that hit the city like a whirlwind. High winds, sheets of rain, and the muggy air were what waited for him when he left nearly an hour after his three o'clock goal.

And that wasn't the worst of it. After his ride on the subway, he would have to run all the way back to his apartment, a nearly fifteen minute walk away on foot. No matter what way he went about going home, he would be absolutely drenched by the end of it. Even he had trouble seeing anything good about this dilemma.

With a silent groan his head rested on the metal bar he was holding onto and shut his eyes. It had been a long day, and he couldn't wait to get back. After forcing a semi-good mood for most of the work day, rest was all that he wanted, and he planned to get it. For now, he would take the chance he had to just shut out the world and forget about everything around him for a second.

Then sound of the intercom chimed in the train car. Both his eyes rolled. A charming female voice followed the chime as the car quickly slowed its speed. ' _Now arriving at… Acacia St_.'

 _I didn't mean literally a second_ , he thought wryly. The station came into view as the car came to a complete stop. The doors shot open to the station to reveal a new set of tired mammals impatiently waiting to get on. Animals hastily shuffled off the train and a new set hopped on, finding their places in metal benches and bars, then held on as the train took off for its next destination.

With the quick movement of the previous stop, a whiff of the musky, wormy, dirty smell of the subway car and the passengers traveled down his nostrils and into his lungs. The very smell would have made any new resident to the city gag with disgust. Thankfully, this wasn't the first time he had traveled through the underground, so he'd grown accustom to the varying scents and fragrances that infested the car with every work day.

The comms chimed again. ' _Next stop… Savannah Central_.'

"Finally," the wolf whispered irritably, his long train ride for the day coming to an end. Today the ride home felt like an eternity.

On a normal day it would take around forty-five minutes to an hour and two trains just to make it from the station at Flock Street back to his stop at the heart of the city, Savannah Central. Despite the sheer length of the ride itself, he didn't mind it one bit. It beat having to drive from place to place and pay for parking. And with the only car that he and his wife owned being used to get to and from the MASA space center outside of the city limits, which was an hour drive itself, he didn't mind taking the train to and from work.

He opened his eyes to see the train pass another set of lights on the brick tunnels, then squinted as the train entered the enormity of Savannah Central Station.

Almost every animal around him started shuffling around the car, nearly crowding the door in the process. Just as he was about to move from his comfy position himself, he saw something cute in the reflection of the window. It was two antelopes, a mother and a son, paw in paw moving behind him. He smiled, a merry thought of little pups prancing around his apartment blossomed in his head—

A shot of pain zipped through his back end as an audible whine shot out of his muzzle, halting the pipedream in its tracks. Ignoring the embarrassing cry, he quickly brought the tip of his tail in front of him and caressed it with his paws. Someone had stepped on it. He looked behind him to find the source of whoever caused it as he struggled to keep his cool. Except, the only thing he found was the smaller prey child with a shocked look on his face. He shared the same expression as he put two and two together.

"Jason!" His mother nearly burst, grabbing the young antelope's arm. She looked at Ed first, then at her wide-eyed little boy. There was something about the look on her face that made him uneasy, sad even. "I-I'm so sorry." She stuttered as the doors to the train opened, both mother and son quickly leaving the train the first chance they got before he could even respond.

He slowly stepped off the subway car and spotted the two on the escalator to the main pavilion above. They were walking fast, the mother glancing behind as she dragged her boy along. Edward's ears drooped and his shoulders slumped slightly. The look on both her face and her son's face were irrefutable.  _They were… afraid…_

He looked down at his paws—more specifically his claws— as a black nail unsheathed itself from his pointer finger. Another thought poked around in his head.  _Do I really look that menacing?_

With a sigh he slowly began to leave the Inner Loop station and started strolling towards the top floor of Central Station, taking all the time he needed to prepare his furred body for another trip through the rain.

In the back of his mind, however, a strange thought of a sinister version of himself had slowly pieced itself together. He could imagine the dark image of himself cackling away like an evil villain would in one of those cheesy spy movies. Only this time, this villain actually looked  _terrifying._

Savage eyes… sharp teeth and blood-red claws… an almost devil-like grin. He was the true definition of a  _monster._

 _…W-will… I go savage,_ he thought uneasily.

Would he even remember? Would there be any trace of him left?

What about the pour soul—or souls—who would be bared into  _his own_ teeth?

The taste of blood on his tongue...

The look of fear on his victim's face as they stare into his cold savage eyes...

Mauler.

Murderer.

_Killer._

This lingering suspicion stuck with him for a solid minute before the sound of another train brought him back to reality. He felt weak, almost sick to his stomach. His heart was pounding, and his hands were trembling. Tears had nearly formed formed in his eye as he tried desperately to suppress the need to scream. He looked around all four stations and watched the Zootopia Loop train carefully for any passengers coming off of the train. Ten seconds passed, then fifteen, as a round of quick inhales and exhales stopped him from losing the precious lunch still sitting in his stomach. As soon as he was safe, one last slow and shaky breath entered his lungs and he took a step forward, wiping away the water away from his eyelids. It was time for him to think about something else.

Savannah Central Station had a grand total of three stories that held four of the seven major lines scattered around the city. Going from left to right, the first major line connected to Central Station was the Inner Loop, suited for those wanting to go to and from Downtown—which was the line he had just left. Up next was the Bunnyburrow line. This train was made for any mammal outside the city wanting to visit and vice versa. He had a personal attachment to this line, mainly because he grew up in the Tri-Burrows area himself. After that was the Zootopia Loop which, as one could imagine, looped around the entire city. Finally, there was the Stadium line, which provided stops all the way to the stadium at the edge of the city. At the end of the day, utilizing and understanding these trains was one of the most crucial parts about being in the city. It was one of the most efficient ways to get around, and it most certainly was the best if you knew how to navigate the different lines.

The silver wolf walked steadily past the empty Bunnyburrow line, a weak grin slowly creeping onto his face. A happy memory of his family's farm replayed itself like an old movie. His brother Gary would help him and their father tend to the crops, and his sister Lavender would help their mother in the house to make their meals for the day. He'd have to go over and help Lavender and their father at the farm soon.  _Good times_.

Wind poured through the archways in the back of the station platform and drew his attention towards the open archways. It wasn't hard not to notice the darkness that consumed the city and the rain that steadily collected on the tracks below the platform. The weather hadn't gotten any better than when he left work, and it didn't look like it was getting any better.

He quickly scurried up the empty escalator to the other half of the station where all of the gift shops, the various food and drink stands, and—more importantly—the exit, were located. Unsurprisingly, there were several groups and lines that had formed around the vendors present, and they looked to be getting even busier by the minute. If he had to take a wild guess, the weather had drawn some of the crowd from the central park inside. They were probably waiting for the weather to die down a bit before going back outside.

 _Speaking of…_  He thought as he pulled out his phone to check.

Just before he could unlock his phone, a bright flash illuminated the room for a split second, calling the attention of most the animals in the vicinity, including him. He waited, expecting a loud blast of sound to make his eardrums burst. Fortunately, the sound the lightning strike produced was only a soft yet strong rumble that easily shook the entire building.

The metal support beams rattled and vibrated, creating this eerie sound that was almost similar to the roar of a lion. It reverberated and bounced off of the walls of the atrium before slowly faded away into nothingness.

For a couple seconds, the building went completely silent. No one spoke. The wolf looked around, almost frantically, thinking that he may have actually become deaf. Obviously, and thankfully, this thought didn't last long as sounds started to flood through the large savannah themed room. He breathed a sigh of relief.

His phone was still grasped inside of his paw, which was at his side now, still waiting patiently to be used. Without delay he unlocked the device and brought it back into view, navigating to the pre-installed weather app. He looked closely at the different times and icons on the screen, hoping to see a fraction of sunshine in a reasonable timeframe.

He read the current weather in the area:  _Zootopia, Savannah Central - 64F_ _\- Chance of Rain, 100%_. Below the simplistic image of a storm cloud were the hourly outlooks for the area, which would give him an idea of when exactly the storm would pass.

"No way…" He whispered silently. Based on what his weather application read it wouldn't be until eleven o'clock before the storms would even begin to die down. He could feel the frustration brewing in his paws as he clicked the power button. "You've got to be kidding me."

Either he was one of the unluckiest mammals alive, or the universe decided that today would be the day where he just wouldn't win.

After stuffing the phone back into his pants pocket and a slow stroll through the atrium, he passed underneath the archway leading to the area under the building's canopy. He slowly sat down on the edge of one of the pillars' bases and watched the storm unfold in front of him. The rain and wind rattled the leaves on the trees and made the light poles illuminating the area wobble back and forth. He could even smell the hint of worms in the moist air. A deep breath filled his lungs, which he then let out in a slow sigh as his irritation transformed into bliss.

He leaned back and crossed his legs, putting the weight of his upper body on his paws as he looked ahead. Behind Savannah Central Park were the tall skyscrapers that defined the Zootopian skyline. He could see it all. The Matterhorn building, Zootopia One, even the waterfall that flowed in the middle of downtown. Even in the worst weather the city looked spectacular. With the image still in his head he shut both of his eyes and put his paws behind his head, now fully flat on his back. He listened to the sounds of the rain and wind, embracing the coolness of the air that blew through his fur.

"If only I could sit here forever…"

_B-bzzz… B-b-bzzz…_

In a split second, the smile that was adorning his muzzle had been utterly eradicated, and in its place was one of the straightest faces he could muster. He quickly yielded however and pulled out his phone, still retaining his position on the stone surface beneath him.

"You just had to open your big mouth, didn't'cha Ed," the cynical part of mind rhetorically asked, waving his cell phone around in the air callously.

He brought it in front of his face and stared at the screen. Embedded in the pixels was the picture of he and his wife, a selfie of the two of them cuddling on their bed with goofy little smiles plastered on their faces. It forced a minor chuckle and dorky smile out of him to see the purity and joy in both their eyes. He remembered the moment well. It was a couple days before their wedding day, one of the proudest and most wonderful days of their lives. But even with the happiness he felt, there were still the events afterward that really took their toll on him.

Nearly a week after the ceremony, his mother passed away, and a couple of weeks later came the funeral. Now, only two days later, he was back to work in Zootopia. There came a question of if he was ready to come back, if he were emotionally stable enough to carry on. Strength. All he needed strength, he kept repeating to himself. 

Remembering he quickly shook away some of the lingering melancholy, replacing it with a blank expression. He thought to himself, _m_ _aybe she wouldn't mind picking me up today?_

The wolf finally put the speaker of his phone to his ear and accepted the incoming call. "Hello?" He drew out playfully, silently hoping that she couldn't sense the sadness looming through the speaker of the phone.

"Hey, Eddy!" Her charming midrange voice replied. "Was starting to think you'd never pick up."

"Like I would ever  _not_  want to talk to the love of my life."

An audible laugh bellowed over the speaker as he sat up straight. If he were a betting mammal, she was blushing like mad on the other end of the line. "Ed, you're so cheesy."

"I aim to please," he teased.

"That you do."

He looked out towards the park and continued to watch the rain pelt the ground. It even started to overflow on the top of the canopy, cascading over the edge almost like a waterfall.

"Where are you even at, Ed? It sounds like you're in the eye of a tornado."

"Close." He snickered, "I got stuck at Savannah Central."

"You're still there—" She halted her question as her voice cracked, then sternly uttered, "Don't you dare."

Her timing was impeccable as always. Just as he was about to poke fun at it too. "What," he replied innocently, "I was just gonna say how  _adorable_  that was."

She let out an audible sigh. "You're lucky I love you."

"That I am," he agreed. "But, to answer your question, yeah. The storm's really bad over here."

"Aww, but I thought my big bad wolf liked the rain?"

"Not when it's pelting you half to death. A day in the Rainforest district beats this any day of the week."

"Eh, whatever you say Eddy." For a couple moments, the conversation between them went silent. The rain continued to fall, and the wind started to pick up again. Then, out of the blue, a car horn blasted through the speaker, causing him to reflexively move the phone away from his ear. As he brought the device back to his ear, he could hear his wife's reaction as she screamed over the microphone. "COME ON, PAL! MERGING IN FRONT OF ME AIN'T GONNA GET YOU HOME ANY FASTER!"

An uncontrollable urge to laugh consumed him as he attempted to respond. "Charming."

"Oh, shush."

"I mean, at least you're attempting to stay safe on the road."

"I said shush."

"What did that guy ever do to you?"

"…You're  _really_  working for that couch tonight, aren't you?"

"…"

The corners of his mouth dropped in an instant. He could feel his entire body tense up. The dreaded word 'couch' was in play. The question now was deciding whether or not it would be prudent to continue to push her buttons. The small, barely comfortable for long periods, barely enough space to fit long ways couch would be the result. He involuntarily shook his head in disgust.

It was probably in his best interest to knock off the sass before she got cross. Switching topics was probably the best option in this situation.

"So…, considering you're stuck in traffic, you're on your way home?"

"Good boy," she acknowledged, the silver wolf letting out a sigh of relief, "And yeah. Traffic is being stupid right now. I just left work."

"I figured as much," he shrugged. "You wouldn't happen to be remotely close to the city, would you?"

"Nope." She said without hesitation.

 _Biscuits._  As soon as her answer hit his ear, he stood up and slowly walked toward one of the columns holding up the canopy.

"It's pretty much stop and go traffic for me."

"Well that's a bummer. I was hoping that if you were close you could come pick me up so I wouldn't have to run through the rain."

"And I totally would if I weren't stuck here. Sorry, hon."

"It's fine Sharla. Wouldn't fret about the small stuff. It's just rain, and…considering my mood lately…I could use a nice walk."

"Are you sure? At most, it'll probably be two hours, and even then I'm probably overestimating…"

A firm reply stopped her in her tracks. "I'm sure."

An audible sigh blew through the phone. "Alright. Just make sure you dry yourself off. If any of my wool gets wet or if you get sick, you'll be sorry."

"Of course." He chuckled.

"Alright…" she repeated. "I'm gonna have to let you go, I just found out why traffic's the way it is." She paused and he waited in attention for the reason why. "Looks like there's an accident up ahead. It's down to one lane… Looks bad."

"Yikes…" The word came out of impulse. A vivid picture of the scene formed in his head.  _What was she seeing,_  he wondered silently.

"I'll see you when I get home, Ed. I love you! Bye!"

"I love you too, Shar. See ya."

With their little talk ended he brought the phone back into the confines of his pocket and let out a breath of his own.  _Better she not get caught with her phone out while she was right next to the police_. Another hard sheet of rain fell onto Savannah Central as a strong gust of wind made his fur tousle wildly about. Even his eyes were beginning to water as they shut uncontrollably.

A funny thought regrettably formed into words as the wind began to die down.  _Could be worse_.

Without a second thought, he bolted out of the canopy and began the trek back to the apartment.

And after fifteen minutes of running through the rain, he regretted ever _thinking_ the phrase 'could be worse.'

Not even a couple minutes into his run he managed to take a major spill in front of his local Snarlbucks. His paw was clutching his throbbing right upper arm, almost certain that there was some form of scrape under his damp fur if the minute dabs of blood were any indication. If he had only avoided one of the few tree pits on the side of the path, he could have avoided injury altogether.

 _Stupid lightning._ He cursed quietly at the flash that caused his injury.

Any doubt in his mind that the universe was out to get him that day was utterly eradicated and replaced with absolute certainty.

But, at long last, he stumbled weakly into the doorway of the Grand Pangolin Arms. He'd finally made it. Waiting just three floors above him was the luxury apartment that he'd been looking forward to for the entire day. Even the awful, stiff couch seemed like a wonderful paradise full of pure comfort and relaxation. All it lacked was the warmth and comfort of his wife, a warmth that he most definitely needed after all that had happened today.

He twisted the golden doorknob and pushed on the door, a big silly grin on his face as a thought of that couch popped back into his head, then—

_SMACK_

"Ow!" He yelped as he slammed muzzle first into the wooden door. It hadn't budged even a millimeter. Almost instantly he began rubbing the stinging parts of his snout as a small part of his pride started to quickly fall out of his reach. He gave the door an irritated gaze, then grasped the door's handle with a firmer, angrier grip. This time, he intentionally slammed his body against the door, ignoring the twinge of pain that shot where his scrape was, to get it to open. Just like before, it didn't budge. He took in a steady breath and exhaled. With all of his strength he charged at the door and braced his shoulder for the impact. He shut his eyes.

"Hello?"

His eyes shot back open. Before he knew it the door was wide open, and the world was quickly turning sideways. He hit the ground with a hard _plop_ , followed by another cry and wince as he clutched his sore arm.

"Oh my gosh! Sir, are you okay?" the mysterious voice asked worryingly as she quickly kneeled down behind him.

He lay there for a couple seconds as he tried to find his bearings. Soon the pain started to dissipate into a dull annoyance, then used his left paw to hoist his upper body off of the ground. He shook his head back and forth, rainwater flying in every direction around him. Edward brought his mind to attention as he began to acknowledge the being before him.

"I'm—"

Just as he was about to speak, the first glance he got at this animal made his blue eyes grow wide.

_Wait…_

As he turned his head, something sparked in his mind. This rabbit seemed familiar… a little too familiar. Quickly he scanned her as his memory attempted to find any info on his perp. He couldn't help but think that he should know who this was… he just knew it. A list of her physical attributes formed in his head. Grey and white fur, stunning purple irises like his sister's, and her nearly pristine police uniform.

That was it. His mouth was agape. He could recognize that bunny anywhere.

Standing before him was none other than the very first rabbit officer in Zootopia, the one who solved one of the biggest cases the city had ever seen in just two days: Officer Judy Hopps, in the flesh.

A flurry of different emotions rushed through his mind as they stared at each other. He could feel his heart start to race as he pulled his torso up straight. A fist formed on the side she couldn't see. The first was anger, obviously emanating from the rising problem of prejudice in the city, no thanks to her. Next was utter despair. Just seeing another animal acknowledge his existence other than his close circle of friends was shocking to say the least, and if it weren't for the mental blockers in his head, he could very well just fall apart right in front of her. It would feel good to tell someone about everything that he'd experienced today, to take the load off of his shoulders, but there was something else. Hidden below these emotions was something he felt every time another case of 'savage' predators came up in the news: disappointment.

 _How could she let this happen?_ He thought as he brought his clustered mind back to reality. His gaze turned away from the officer as he brought himself back up, then attempted to speak once more.

"I'm fine," he uttered in crisp monotone.

Her ears drooped. "A-are you sure? That was a nasty fall you took there, and you're bleeding—"

"I'm fine," the wolf repeated firmly, quickly covering his right upper arm with his free paw. "I can manage a little scrape. I've been through worse. It's nothing to worry yourself over, officer. Trust me."

"Please, I've got some first-aid, maybe I could help patch—"

"I said, _I'm fine_."

He started his wobbly stroll over to the stairway, his exhausted legs carrying him to the final leg of his journey. Before he got a couple of steps up the stairs, he stopped. He felt like he'd forgotten something, something that he needed to get off of his chest. With newfound confidence, he turned to the rabbit with a sneer.

"Hey, Officer Hopps?"

She pulled her ear towards him wincing, then waited to hear what he had to say. There was a pause between the two of them. He stared at her with a surprised look on his face. Something about her and her reaction at that moment put a stop to whatever he'd had planned to say to the officer, and made him rethink.

Normally, he'd think of the ZPD as these hardened enforcers of the law, neutral and swift in their actions and judgments like a mother or father would when parenting a young pup. They would be made of stone, resilient to anything you'd throw at them. But, this officer, this _mammal…_ was just a normal animal, an animal going about her day like any normal mammal would. Despite her title and badge, she was just like him in this cruel world—this cruel city.

Standing before him was a defenseless rabbit, waiting for his unneeded punch to her self-esteem, waiting for what would more than likely be the millionth berating comment she'd received to date, or even this week. She was the first rabbit officer in Zootopian history, and one could probably imagine all of the animals that said she should just give up while she can.

Now he was standing before her, about to add on to that doubt, that quitter attitude she'd been fighting for years to get to this grueling point. She was doing everything she could to protect the city without a second thought, and here he was, the mere journalist, about to talk all high and mighty as if he was her superior. Continuing on that mindset would make him no better than the bullies that belittled him in his own younger years, the runt of the litter with neither voice nor howl to save his life, and no better than Sharla's childhood bully, Gideon Grey. And of course, Sharla would never forgive him if he were mean to Judy, one of her closest friends from the Burrows.

He shut his eyes and regained his composure, letting out a gentle sigh. It was time to address the situation in his own, milder way.

"My… my wife and I came to this city because we dreamed that we could be anything if we set our minds to it, despite what our limitations are. This place, this city, _is_ our home. It took us a long time to get to this point, and we're finally making a living for ourselves in this cruel world. If… if you could do us a huge favor… keep making this city, the city that _we all_ love, a better place for everyone."

He tried his best to fight off the tears that were building near the end of his rant, but failed as one fell onto his damp fur, instinctively wiping it away as he strode quickly up the staircase before more followed them.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Judy watched as the wolf moved up the wooden stairs, the steps creaking and moaning with disapproval. She could feel both of her ears clamped to the back of her head as her gaze went downcast, staring off into empty space as the broken world around her kept moving along.

All she wanted to do was make things right, to mend the city in any way she could, but for what?

_Keep making this city… a better place for everyone._

His words repeated in her head like a broken record. A better place for everyone? How could she make this city a better place, when all she had done was tear it apart, when even her closest friend hated her guts? She couldn't even help a troubled citizen in need.

Animosity in the city was starting to become worse, and she couldn't help but feel that she was at the heart of it all. Her paw brushed over her police badge, feeling over the engraved words: _Trust, Bravery,_ and _Integrity._

Of all her prized possessions, that badge was everything she strived for, all that she had worked for. This item was her very life. She'd do anything to keep it safe. But, with everything that followed after the arrest of ex-mayor Leodore Lionheart and the press conference gone awry, she found herself doubting everything about the gleaming metal pinned to her chest. What would those words mean if she couldn't follow even one of them?

She unpinned the badge from her chest plate and brought it in front of her violet colored eyes.

"Do I really deserve this badge?"

 

**_o  o  o_  
**

 

_Room 302._

Sharla stared at the gold number on the door as she fumbled about trying to get the set of keys unhooked from the belt loop on the back of her blue jeans. It was hard to believe how much time had flown by since they moved to Zootopia. It seemed like only yesterday she asked Edward out to their first date. She remembered it all: the awkward stares, the bland conversations, not to mention his trembling paws when they were held in hers. She loved every bit of it, and he did too. Who would ever have guessed that her first concert with her band would bring her where she was today?

Next month would make it three years living in their apartment together.

Now they were officially a married couple, living about their days together as 'Edward and Sharla Snow.' She knew it had to have taken a great amount of courage to ask her father for her hand. Just being a wolf alone put him at a major disadvantage considering her old man's stubbornness and past prejudice. But, in the end, her father approved. Now here she was, waiting to see her husband inside on his phone or watching a show on the T.V. they owned.

With the proper key in-hoof, she shoved it into the keyhole and twisted it, unlocking and opening the door before her. The room slowly opened up, light from the hallway bringing a gentle yellow hue into the darkened space. The television was showing a commercial for some male predator hygiene product meant to block their musk.

"Speaking of…"

She nearly let out a squeal when she saw that the love of her life was curled up like a fluffy half donut on the small couch they owned. Very rarely did he sleep the way that he was, and when he did, there were plenty of pictures and cuddles to be had. It was incredibly amusing to see how he comfortably nestled into the back of the sofa. Even the cushions were beginning to gobble him up as his chest continued to slowly and gracefully rise and fall.

Finally taking her eyes off of the silver sleeping giant, she shut the door silently behind her and moved to their dresser. Her keys and thin wallet were placed in a ceramic bowl next to a picture of them in their wedding attire, smiling happily as they both danced the night away.

A tender memory of his angelic singing that night rang through her mind. The purity in his tone and the level of ease that he'd displayed, it was like he'd been waiting his entire life to shed that last layer of doubt and worry away. The fact that he had that kind of talent hidden away for years was amazing, to say the least, but more or less heartbreaking at the same time. If only he had more support in his younger years, or if they had met sooner, maybe she could have lifted a little bit of that weight off of his shoulders.

 _If only he could see how strong he really is,_ she thought quietly to herself.

After grabbing her earbuds and turning on a lamp, her gaze glanced back at the sleeping wolf, his foot twitching subtly back and forth. She pulled out her phone and snuck her way in front of him, ready to snap a quick picture.

 _Say cheese,_ she thought lovingly as she nearly caught the moment forever. But, before her hoof tapped the screen, she noticed something off near his eyes. The sheep's eyelids narrowed and took a closer look. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the space around his eyes looked wet, unlike the rest of his ruffled dry fur. In fact, as she looked deeper at his face, his expression appeared rather gloomy.

She looked at him with a warm smile and put her hoof gently on top of both his paws. _Must've been a rough one,_ she guessed as she planted a soft kiss on the top of his head. She cozied up in the small circular space he left in front of him, trying her best not to disturb his slumber as she nudged up as close as she could.

Once she got situated comfortably beside him, she pulled out her phone and swiped away at it until she reached her audiobook app. While it loaded, she looked back at the television screen and put her free hoof on top of her husband's head, gently rubbing his fur as the channel burst with color. It was the Zootopia News Network, and there was apparently a developing story.

 _News junkie,_ the sheep sassily quipped to her resting husband.

"More bad news in the city tonight; a family of four attacked by the now confirmed report of a wolf gone savage, marking this the twenty-fourth savage attack to date."

"The victims of the attack suffered only minor injuries, able to narrowly escape before police arrived on the scene…"

The rest of the broadcast droned on while she sat there, staring at the two news anchors talk about the situation in detail. Was she baffled at the fact that yet another predator had sadly gone savage, or that no one was working on the solution to this issue? Perhaps she was more frightened by the fact that the love of her life could have the chance to transform into one of those terrible monsters himself? After all, there was no telling where, when, or even how he would even achieve that state anyway.

She let out a calm breath and continued to massage the adorable wolf around her, looking into his closed heavy eyes. She reached her final conclusion that there was absolutely no way he would ever become something so vicious and vile. His soul was too pure and too strong for anything like that. If anything, he would be quite literally the exact opposite of savage given his very nature.

In her other paw, she swiped away at her phone until she reached her desired book, continuing her read into a sci-fi world filled with aliens, warfare, and action, all taking place in one of her favorite locations in space, the Vega system.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

It was nearly nine o'clock in the morning, and Edward was just starting another workday at the _Gazette_. A gigantic yawn filled the entirety of his lungs. One would think after getting an appropriate nine hours of sleep they wouldn't be tired in the slightest. It was clear that it wasn't the case for him as a slow exhale made his heavy eyes involuntarily water.

He stared lazily at the corner of his computer screen for any new email notifications from Horn or the editors. As he sat there waiting, he attempted to recall what had happened the other day.

Of course there was that entire thing with Officer Hopps, and him leaning against the door bawling his eyes out, but what else? His brain had to have gone completely offline. He didn't remember drying his fur, putting on his favorite pajamas, or even turning on the television. All he knew was that when he woke up this morning, he and his wife were cozied up comfortably on the sofa, her wool flattened by him using it as a makeshift pillow.

Thankfully, she didn't ask him about what happened the day prior or about his obviously dim spirit. He would hate to have to relive that entire series of events again. All she did was smile and give him a little kiss on the cheek before getting ready for the day.

Before they both left for work, however, he remembered to mention that her old childhood friend was living in the same building as them. Needless to say, she was ecstatic. Turned out not talking regularly with each other for two years made her adamant on seeing her rabbit friend again. She was even considering skipping work just to see her, and considering her tenacity he was sure that she would get that time by the end of the workday.

On the topic of work, he continued to stare at the mail icon at the corner of his screen. Again, nothing happened. Impatiently he clicked on the icon and brought his z-mail inbox into view. Inside it was all of the same z-mails that had been there when he left. Normally, a new topic would just be sitting in his inbox as he'd sign back into his computer for the day. But today there was…nothing.

He turned around in his chair at his other coworkers. Nearly everyone was working their tails off, tapping away at their keyboards and clicking away at their mice. He felt slightly out of place. Admittedly, he was glad nothing was on his plate, and knew that things like this happened quite often with some of his other coworkers. However, something about not receiving work after that repeat of an article he sent in the other day didn't sit right with him.

Deciding it would be for the best if he didn't pursue it any further, a tab opened up to the ZNN homepage, the silver wolf once again becoming the total news junkie that he was.

At the top of the page was the latest headline…

_A Family of Four Attacked: The Twenty-Fourth Savage Animal to Date._

His blue eyes stared at the title with displeasure. _Twenty-fourth…_ In the picture behind the title was the police trying to hold back the predator gone mad as he struggled to free himself from their restraints. They looked painful. The muzzle around his face, the sturdy rope pulling the wolf towards the officers; it sent a shiver down his spine thinking about it.

But what about the family? Were they okay? Were they safe? Did he even dare read to find out? With a scroll of his mouse, he began to assuage his hunger for information in the blocks of paragraphs below.

_The savage predator attacked a family of four late in the evening…the family of zebras narrowly escaped before the ZPD arrived on the scene…_

A sigh of relief calmed his nerves a bit. If he knew anything from the rough nature of his brother Gary, or the beatings he got from the 'pack' back in school, wolves were a force to be reckoned with.

He skimmed through the rest of the article with his questions answered, glancing over the carefully worded news report. After scrolling down the page a bit, something interesting caught his eye in the midst of his speedy reading. A statement from the newly appointed mayor, Dawn Bellwether. Definitely unexpected, for sure. The quote supplied by the ZNN read this:

"These are trying times in the city, but we have to remain strong. The board and I are avidly working to find solutions to this terrible problem affecting our city, and we're getting close to finding an answer. We will keep you updated as we get more information."

He sat back in his chair and stared at the quote. Oddly enough, he'd met the assistant mayor once before thanks to an unveiling of some brand new technology that his wife had developed. If any word could describe her, awkward would've fit the bill perfectly. He could imagine her high scratchy voice speaking into a plethora of microphones sitting atop an immaculate wooden podium, getting all the press a mayor should.

A halfhearted chuckle softly filled the air. He rested his paws behind his head, doubting the sheep and her claims. Was there _really_ a solution on the way, or was it all a ploy to get the masses to calm down? If it was the latter, then he could mark it one of the biggest fails of her career. It wouldn't do anything to bring peace to prey or predators. In all honesty, all it would do would make matters worse than they already were.

How long would it be before something disastrous happened in the streets? What if a fatality were to occur within the city because of these predators gone savage? How bad would it be then? The line between prey and predators was thin at best given everything so far. If something else were to happen—

A tap on his shoulder brought him back to the _Gazette_. Opening his eyelids revealed a four-eyed tiger wearing a sharp black overcoat and green shirt to match his emerald colored eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest, and the smile he'd adorned every time he made his way over to Edward's desk was notably absent.

Instead of asking about the lack of happiness on his visage, the wolf simply grinned and greeted him. "Hey, Charles."

"Hey Ed," he said blandly before his stare slowly moved towards the window to Edward's right.

There was an awkward pause as the suave animal looked outside. During this time, Edward examined him with a puzzled look that he took no effort in hiding. Charles didn't look like his normal cheery self today, quite the opposite actually. He looked distant, almost trying to desperately shield away whatever he was feeling. This was a feeling he remembered well. _You dummy. We dated for six months and you still think you can just hide that from me? You haven't changed at all since high school, haven't you?_

His paw waved in front of the tiger's face jokingly, a weak smile plastered on his face. "Zootopia to Charles?" His friend looked back at him with a straight face. "You still here buddy? What's up?"

Another pause allowed the tiger to take a slow, calming breath. "Danielle wants to see us in her office."

The wolf's head cocked. "Danielle?"

He stared over across the desks behind him to the large, windowed-off space on the floor, one of the biggest offices in the building. But it wasn't just any office. This was _her_ office.

Some animals at one time had the gall to call that place the "principal's office." The one who started it got reprimanded so fast that it became more of an urban legend, whispered among mammals working on the floor, fearful that they might be the ones to enter next.

On her happy days, she would walk around the floor with a smile, greeting and talking with people about the day and the stories they'd written. Unfortunately for him, that hasn't happened in months.

The anxiety stirring inside of him made his paw twitch. It didn't take a genius to take a guess as to why she wanted to see him. It was the article he'd sent in. There must have been something wrong with it, or something that didn't appease her. If that was indeed the case, then it would be totally unjustifiable. What she told him exactly was "give me your opinion on the savage preds in the city." That was it. His opinion, his own words on the subject. Nothing more, nothing less. He did everything she asked to the letter, so why did she need to see him? Why did she need to see the both of them? He had to know.

Calmly, he asked his friend, "Why does she want to see us?"

At first, there was no response, just this downward gaze and a groan. Was he avoiding the question?

"Charles?" he asked worryingly.

"Just… follow me," his friend uttered as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

The two slowly detached themselves from Edward's desk and made their way down the aisle, looking directly at the place that everyone dreaded to enter. One by one, mammals were starting to glance over at the two of them walking towards the dark abyss with their tails between their legs. Edward could feel his heart starting to pound as the pairs of eyes pierced the flesh under his fur, his paws and knees trembling.

Why was he such a coward? There was no reason to be afraid. It was just his boss. Another animal, like him, working her tail off just to make ends meet in this city as the head of one of the biggest news providers around.

A shudder shot up his spine. A realization quickly made him remember again: this was his _boss_. As quickly as she hired him, she could very well fire him. That was the worst case scenario. The best case would be that she liked it so much as to bring him into the office and give him a huge bonus for writing such a successful article. If he were living in a fantasy world, he would have more faith in betting on the latter.

This didn't look good for him if Charles's expression meant anything. He only had moments to prepare himself. His paws clenched as he sucked in a quick breath. They were standing just outside the door.

_Don't jump to conclusions. Don't show your cowardice. Fight. You worked your tail off to get here. Don't let her boss you around._

The antelope sitting behind the dark wooden desk grabbed some papers sitting off to the side of her. She stared at them as she waved them in, not taking her eyes off of what was in front of her. Charles held open the clear glass door and let Edward be the one to enter first.

An intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms hit him like a wall as he entered the space. He took in the air and let out a silent breath. Some would normally find the aroma pungent at best, especially one with a strong sense of smell, but the wolf absolutely adored it. The rest of her office had this enchanting, Zen-like appeal to it. A miniature stone fountain sat in the far corner of the room, the sloshing water providing a soothing white noise that could calm even an angry lion. Lovely watercolor artwork hung along the walls, the colorful plant life scattered sparingly around the room. The overall cleanliness of the room was kept so perfectly that finding any flaw in it would be trivial.

Both predators took a seat in the two chairs stationed in front of their boss's workstation. After getting settled in, they waited patiently for her to finish up reading whatever was in her hooves. During this time, Edward got a chance to observe the prey sitting in front of him to see what exactly he was up against.

She wasn't paying attention to either one of them still, and she looked like she was struggling to eye the words typed out on the page even with the help of her glasses. On her face was an expression that was composed and collected, the face of a leader. She didn't slouch and didn't show any particular emotion on her face. He really didn't know how to feel. So, he just sat there patiently with his paws clasped together.

"You know why you're in here, correct?"

Surprised at the suddenness of the light voice, he assumed that she was directing the comment at him. He cleared his throat.

"Actually, I don't."

"That's a shame." She mumbled quietly, just loud enough for Edward to pick out her voice.

The set of papers in her hooves were carefully set back onto the table. She removed her glasses and set them on top of the pile, her brown eyes focusing on him.

"Last evening you sent over your new copy of that article I assigned you to the editors. I received the copy that they were going to put in tomorrow's paper late last night…"

 _Were?_ A plethora of saliva fell down his throat as a pitiful smile touched his muzzle. "And?"

"…It's awful," his boss blatantly replied.

All at once the small amount of spirit that he gathered upon entering her office had quickly slipped away from him. The vulnerability he'd tried so desperately to hide was effortlessly brought back into the light and jabbed exactly where it hurt the most. The corners of his mouth slowly dipped as his ears feel back, preparing himself while she continued.

"The whole thing feels like you rushed through it blindly, sticking words and blanket statements all over it like it was some grand puzzle. On top of that, the structure of it was all over the place. Even the editors were having trouble trying to figure it out, and the piece is so undersized that it wouldn't even pass for our shorter excerpts."

"…You told me to write about the savage predators in my own words, my own opinions. I wrote it specifically that way. Everyone's hurting right now. Their minds are scattered. They're scared, Danielle." Hoping that she'd see his lighter point of view, he explained the situation to her. "I'm scared. When I'm constantly faced with the fact that this might happen to me, I wanted my piece to reflect on how I was feeling when I came back to this, from a predator's perspective—"

"That's not good enough."

The ignorant interruption made the wolf do a double take. He couldn't believe his ears. What wasn't good enough about how he felt?

"…Excuse me?"

"I'm not frightened. Not in the slightest." She got up from her chair, straightened out her flamboyant red flower dress, and walked over to the window. "As you should know, three years ago, my father decided to hand over one of the best newspaper companies to me. He had multiple offers from many other mammals to take over for him, and even shut out his pupil to give it to me. So, as you can see, I'm not scattered. I know exactly what I'm doing."

She turned around and stood behind her desk, hooves clasped behind her back.

"There's a fine line between just throwing your sentiment on a piece of paper and actually talking about the problem at hand, even if it's opinion-based. Frankly, I'm angry at everything that's happened. I want something that will ignite the fire in mammal's hearts and push to get actual change done. And if you think that I'm just going to accept your excuses for this atrocity of an article you submitted, think again. Believe me when I say that I'm trying to help you… to save you the trouble."

The wolf's head tilted at the ending of her sentence. "What do you mean, trouble?"

"Have you seen what's going on? Honestly, I'd think you would have considering…"

"Considering what?" he mumbled angrily at her cheekiness.

The implication was obvious. If it weren't for the calming setting, there was a real chance that he would have jumped straight out of his chair and do something he would probably regret later on. In its place was an awkward moment of silence so sharp it could cut through steel.

"…Considering… it's everywhere on all the news channels and social media. I'd thought you'd have an idea."

"Obviously I do. Please, if you would, get to the point," he sputtered.

"Do I have to spell it out? Ninety percent of the population is prey, Edward. If that article about Gazelle told anything about your opinions, I could only imagine how _this_ would turn out. The backlash would be immense. And because your name would be plastered at the top of your work, animals would easily be able to do some simple research and find out everything about you, even down to where you live and the street you live on.

"It'd be a shame to find out that our wolf is hiding a pretty big secret that he's trying to keep out of the public eye."

Again, an abrupt moment of silence brought the mood of this meeting to a darker tone. He was taken aback. Edward's eyes were slowly starting to read the situation in its entirety. This was no ordinary meeting. This was his entire living on the line.

"Come on Danielle…" his friend finally piped up.

"You keep quiet," she exclaimed, her hoof pointing harshly at the tiger's face. "You're in the same boat, don't forget."

Like magic, the tiger's maw quickly snapped shut, and he sat back disgruntled in his chair.

"What do you want…" Edward uttered weakly with his head low, defeated.

With a smile the antelope sat back down in her chair, delivering her ultimatum. "I'm giving you one last chance to redeem yourself. You and Charles will give me an interesting story about the savage attacks in the city before Saturday, and if you don't deliver, not only will that article be posted. You'll be _fired._ "

The word stuck with him for a moment as he attempted to process his situation. Produce a hit story by week's end, written perfectly with solid information, or the blackmail in her back pocket would mysteriously hit circulation.

How'd he get to this point? Not even a month ago he was having the time of his life, working harder than any mammal in the building to make his boss at least pleased with his work. Now, she sat there high and mighty, holding his very job, his _dream,_  hostage. And there was nothing he could do.

"Anything else?" he asked disconsolately, trying to fight back multiple emotions at once.

"No," the firm answer gently flowed.

The wolf quickly attempted to gather his shattered mind and turned tail, leaving the room and trailing down the hallways past his desk to the elevators before anyone could stop him.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Charles stood up and watched the wolf traverse quickly down the hallway and towards the middle of the building to the bank of elevators. Of all the things that he expected to come from this meeting, the last thing he expected was blackmail. He almost wished that he was the one on the chopping block instead.

"Are you serious?" the tiger's voice boomed.

"What?" Danielle asked innocently. "I'm just trying to do my job as the boss. He hasn't delivered for a while now, and I'm getting tired of it."

"His mother just passed away! Only a _week_ after his wedding! And you have the nerve to tell him that with everything falling in on him, with the city falling apart, that he's going to be fired?! How dare you!"

She shot him a menacing glance. "What would you do if one of your employees didn't meet the standards that you set for them? Hm? Would you leave them be and continue to get mediocre work from them until the end of time, or would you tell them to get their act together and cut the fluff out?"

"Fluff—," he stammered, getting increasingly angrier. "I would talk with them to find out what's wrong, comfort them, and give them more time if need be! Not kick them while they're down and force the work out of them like some—"

The predator cut himself off and recollected himself. This was the workplace, and this was still his boss. However, that fine line looked ever so tempting to stray across, even for a moment. For now, he'd just be the model employee that he was and play nice. _For now._

Why was she being so harsh on him in the first place? Edward worked harder than anyone he'd seen at the office, and Charles would often go to him for advice and tips if he got stuck on a topic. What changed?

"You told him that I was going to be sacked too. When we met… before this whole… _charade,_ you never mentioned that little detail to me."

She nodded. "You're right, I didn't."

"So… what? Am I being fired, or not?"

"Well, if you _want_ to be, surely I can arrange something for you. That is, if you mention that detail to your little friend." She put on her glasses again and moved a form in front of her, eyeing the piece of paper meticulously. The predator stood there absolutely appalled. Without looking up, she asked the tiger, "Is that all?"

Sucking in his pride, he quickly turned around and started to march towards the door. However, there was this ever-growing need to finally show her his ace in the hole that he'd been hiding since he walked into her office for the second time.

"You know…" he smiled deviously, "You should really be a lot kinder." He waved the screen of his phone in the antelope's direction, the voice recording application picking up every audible sound in the room as her glasses fell with a _thud_ onto the desk behind him. He turned around to see her stunned expression, infusing him with a tiny bit of joy as a sly expression did all the work for him. His paw pressed the red button on the screen and ended the recording, saving the file onto his device. "I'd hate to see this file find its way to mammal resources, or even the other outlets in Zootopia. Bet they'd have a field day with this little beauty—"

"Get out." The words echoed timidly from her muzzle. Her poised look faded away as her voice became brash. "Get out of my office." For a moment he tried to protest, staring directly into what could've been the sun. A solar flare shot as her paw slammed violently on her desk. " _NOW_."


	3. Bonds

Sitting at the foot of the rickety bed, the striped predator released a ragged breath. He was hunched over, his head hung low and paws clasped lightly together as his scattered mind attempted to piece together the thoughts he had.

Beside him was the silver wolf he'd known since his elementary years, the one he'd asked out on a date just six months ago, the one that finally opened up to him after years of isolation. Now, it seemed as if he was slipping back into that dark place the tiger helped get him out of. And, oddly enough, he was also the cause of it all.

The wolf's pajama covered legs were pressed up tightly against his chest. On top rested both his crossed arms and turned head, no doubt in his mind that he so desperately wanted to avoid him entirely. Could he blame him? What he'd done to his boyfriend was unforgivable. He broke the trust between them both, and there was no way that he could mend it, if not ever. Edward didn't deserve him. He deserved a mammal far better than what he could ever be.

There was no easy way to go about their situation. With everything said and done, there was no way they could continue being an item. The problem was that he didn't know where to even begin. He cared deeply for the well-being of his wolf companion, and would protect it like any good friend should.

Friend. That was it. If they couldn't be boyfriends, maybe that close friendship they once had could still be salvaged, even if it was in shambles.

_Now to start_. Honesty was his best bet for any chance at some sort of friendship at the end of this. He softly sucked in some of the air, and his brim parted.

"I'm sorry."

The words painfully came to light. At that moment, Charles's throat closed up and tears started to well up in his eyes. After all, it wasn't his booming bass voice that reverberated off the walls.

It was Edward's soft treble. At some point while he was in thought the wolf changed his posture to mimic his own, and his admission only made him feel even worse.

"This is all my fault," he sniffled as his sobs went out of control. "I-If only I wasn't so _weak_ … so n-needy… maybe I could've stopped this from ever happening in the first place."

Emphasis on that little word allowed Charles to see something that he'd never seen before on Edward's visage: a snarl.

"I should've done something. I shouldn't've let it slip under my radar. I should've pressed it so it wouldn't have gotten to this point. Now… I-I'm… I'm…"

The tiger pulled the weeping wolf into his embrace, and his silver arms wrapped tightly around him. Each and every tear soaked into his red flannel shirt, refusing to stop their steady flow. He pitifully attempted to pet the top of the wolf's head to try and calm him down, but to no avail. Charles could hardly believe what he was hearing. His boyfriend truthfully believed that this was his fault, when frankly it was really all on Charles.

"I don't wanna lose you!" The light voice nearly screamed into his chest.

"And you won't, Eddy," he attempted to sooth and reassure him. "You will never ever lose me. Not ever…"

He slowly took in a breath for what he was about to say, what he had to say.

"…Even if we aren't what we are now."

The wolf slowly parted from the tiger's hug and rested on his chest. He looked up with a harrowing stare that shook Charles to his very core.

"No." The wolf shook his head as his paws lifted from the red button-up.

"Edward…"

"Don't!" He shouted and sniffled, leaping off of the bed. "So what he said was true, huh? I _have_ lost… h-haven't I?"

_Him._ That _him_. Both his paws formed into fists. He was no doubt referring to the tiger that forced them to this painful point. Theodor Roarland, star soccer player, and well known jerk at their school. Edward caught them straight after their gym class, standing next to one another in the locker room and still in their gym clothes. _"You should be looking for a real mate, Charlie, not some pup who can't even put up a fight to save his life. No bark, no bite, and from what I gather, no howl_. _How sad."_ Charles just let the comment slide. If he were being honest, there was truth in his accusation that couldn't be denied, but he'd never admit to it. So he proceeded to open up his locker and pull out his neatly folded casual attire.

The vixenous tiger advanced on him, taking his gym shirt off and wrapping his paws around Charles's neck. Although subconsciously he knew that what he was doing could spiral out of control, he didn't attempt to stop the shirtless adversary. Soon enough he was pulled close into his space, and the taken tiger's paws stayed relaxed to his sides. _"And you know what? I know that you can't resist. The whole school knows it. You need someone more dominant, fiercer than some wimpy excuse for a wolf."_ What came next was the moment that he wished never happened, the moment he wanted to take back.

Theodor deviously grinned and pulled him into this lustful kiss that he couldn't pull away from. Deep down, it was exactly what he wanted, something that just simply didn't click with his mate. In the heat of the moment, everything about the kiss felt alive, felt wonderful. He didn't want the moment to end.

Just then, Edward walked into the room the two tigers were in, only to find that his love was kissing another mammal. _"Charles?"_ When he opened his eyes to see him standing there, the wolf's world absolutely shattered right in front of him. There were no words that could sufficiently describe it. What had he done?

The other tiger spared no time to hit Edward with the finishing blow, and relished his words when he uttered, _"Looks like you've lost, little puppy."_ The silver wolf's eyes started to glisten with tears as he turned tail and ran straight back out the locker room door, dropping a bright red box that he was holding in his paws. After a swift punch to Theodor's muzzle that sent him plummeting to the ground, he walked over to the parcel laying opened on the tile floor. Upon closer inspection, there was a tag dangling from the box with the tiger's name written decoratively on it. Inside the box was a remarkable silver necklace, accompanied with a tightly folded note.

When fully opened it read, _thank you for opening the world up to me. I don't know what I'd do without you…_

"Well?" The wolf bawled, bringing him back to reality.

_I don't want to lose you…_ He understood his choice of words now.

"Haven't I?!"

Charles stared into his damp eyes, absolutely mesmerized at all of the unchecked emotion in his voice. Of all the years he had known him, he never saw this side of him before. There were times when he was depressed and teary-eyed and needed some shoulder to cry on, but not full-blown outbursts where rage and anger fueled his soul.

He'd been hurt, betrayed by the one he loved. And what hurt the most was that he thought _he_ was the one at fault for this entire mess, when in fact it was Charles's own carelessness that brought them to this point.

"If anyone's lost in this relationship, it's not you Eddy..." A shaky sigh broke up what he was trying to say, almost unwilling to utter the truth to him. But, his emerald eyes stared right into the wolf's gaze as he forced the words out of his throat. "It's me."

They shared a pause that seemed to last an eternity. Edward stared at him with this perplexed look on his face, and shook his head. "W… w-what…"

"When I asked you out six months ago, I thought I was making one of the best decisions of my life. I truly loved you Ed. I loved every moment we spent together. But…"

"But what?"

"I became selfish. I took your love and I just… threw it away." He fought back the need to cry as his whole body shook. "And now because of my negligence, not only have I let you down, I hurt you. To me, that's something I just can't forgive. I can't bear it."

He stood up from his spot and shut his glossy eyes.

"I know what I want in a relationship, and I also believe I know what you want. What you want isn't me. I don't deserve you, Edward. You have such a kind heart and such a good soul, you'll find someone better than me. I know you will."

Another round of tears filled the room as the wolf rubbed his eyes.

"So you're… we're done for good? You're just gonna leave after I…" He paused. "After I gave you _everything_? My v—"

The wolf couldn't finish the sentence without cutting himself off. He nearly blurted out the last word through the thin walls of his home, which would have more than likely pulled some more unwanted attention to their situation.

But, It was true. Charles had done everything to help make his little circle of friends even a little bit larger, and even (hopefully) made him more comfortable with himself and whomever he's with after this. Regrettably, he was indeed the one to fully immerse Edward in the benefits relationships brought, and now he was just ending it as soon as it started.

However, there wasn't any way that he'd leave his friend in the dust. Not by a long shot.

Charles flashed him this half-hearted grin in a futile attempt to brighten the mood.

"Who said we were done completely?" It didn't work, as Edward continued to weep. Charles slowly approached him and cupped his muzzle with his paw. His own silver paw raised and covered the tiger's as he leaned towards him, almost achingly. "I still think we can be friends, Eddy. Don't let this little scuffle get in the way of that. What we had before was fantastic, and I think it's absolutely perfect. We don't need to be a couple to keep getting coffee or seeing movies with each other."

All he could do was reassure him that everything, in the end, would be alright, even if it did leave scars on whatever they once had. Just looking directly into his friend's distraught eyes managed to make him feel worse. He was even beginning to tear up.

Despite everything he said or thought to deny it, some small part of him still loved him in a way that a mate should. At least there was that.

"I love you with all my heart," Charles spoke shakily, planting a peck on the side of the wolf's muzzle. "I really do hope you can forgive me."

The tiger pulled his hands into his denim jeans and trotted sorrowfully out the door. At the doorway, he paused, forgetting one last thing he had to do. He gulped down the lump in his throat.

"It's a terrible night for it to be raining."

"What do you mean?" The wolf weakly frowned. "There's not a cloud in the sky."

He looked down to the floor as a droplet hit the dark hardwood under his feet. "Yes." He turned to his friend, tears in his eyes, and pulled out the red parcel his love dropped on the locker room floor. "There is."

Charles gently placed the box on the desk next to the door and slowly took his leave, his tears soaking into his striped fur.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

"Please…" The treble voice fell on deaf ears as he watched his friend walk down the hallway. "Don't leave me all alone…"

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

"Edward?"

The call echoed loudly in the lobby of the skyscraper. A couple of heads turned to him—none of them wolves—as mammals strolled towards the elevators, either with energized spunk or with exhausted laziness. Nearly every single one of them had a cup of coffee in their grips, which made him envious. How he craved to have some of that delicious nectar of bitterness right about now.

But he'd get to that later.

Ignoring the staring mammals, it'd be absurd to think that his friend would be entering the building again after that farce in Horn's office, and he couldn't have gotten far. The elevators weren't _that_ fast. Charles peered carefully at the front of each and every shop on the ground floor. First was the Jim Horkens café and bakeshop, then the overly expensive Flock Grill, the local bank, and finally the oddly placed, predator-aimed fast food joint, Bug-Burga. Unfortunately, not a single one of these stores had his canid friend, nor contained a single wolf for that matter.

Growing desperate, his head looked upward at the second-floor balcony, eyeing all of the doors through the spaces in between the metal railing. The chances that he had ended up there were slim at best, but it was still plausible enough for him to check at the very least.

Failing in his search, he scratched the back of his head and started to panic a bit. _Where is he?_

Then he heard it. The squeamish sound of bile and nausea hitting the inside of a toilet bowl. Looking in the direction of the public restrooms, a moose strolled out with haste, grimacing back at the doorway.

Charles spared no time and scurried into the restroom. The door opened to reveal an immaculate savannah-themed space similar to the look of the lobby. On the floor of the bathroom was a mammal wearing denim jeans and a light blue flannel. His black paw pads and silver and white fur were more than enough to clarify that it was indeed Edward.

"Snow?" He called out hesitantly, reaching the open door of the occupied stall. With the lack of response, he slowly peered into the small space. Inside was his friend and coworker, hunched over the toilet bowl, paws grasping the sides of it for support as he struggled to catch his breath. Charles couldn't help but empathize for him. He looked miserable.

The tiger quickly grabbed a few pieces of paper towel from the sinks and kneeled down to his level. He brought the neatly folded scraps into Edward's peripheral vision while he began slowly rubbing the wolf's back. His entire body was shaking. Without moving his head he accepted the offering as his paw unsteadily grasped the stack of paper towels.

"You're okay Ed," Charles said softly while Edward brushed the paper over his silver muzzle. "You're okay."

If there was anything about Edward he remembered well, it was the panic attacks that mercilessly plagued his confidence. Fortunately, to his limited knowledge, he hadn't had one in quite some time.

It was always so heartbreaking to see him in this state. In their younger years, Charles recalled an attack so bad that it left Edward out of commission for an entire week, leaving him with little to no contact from nearly anyone other than his direct family and some select friends, including the tiger. Knowing that there was little to nothing he could do to help him besides the pitiful attempts at rebuilding his self-esteem pained him deeply, even now. He wished with all his heart he could do more.

Ignoring the pungent smell of whatever was floating inside the porcelain bowl, he leaned in and quietly spoke.

"Is it all gone?" He nodded his head. "Are you good to walk?" Despite the pause and round of breaths that left the question in the air, he nodded again and slowly started to get back on his feet. Charles stripped off the black blazer covering his button-up and covered his friend with it as they both left the stall. Edward slowly made his way over to the sink and began lightly washing away at the fur around his muzzle.

While Edward was pulling himself together, Charles stared off into space, replaying both meetings with their boss in his head.

_Give me an interesting story about the savage attacks in the city before Saturday._

"Before Saturday, eh?" He quietly mumbled to no one, as his arms folded across his chest. A little less than three days to come up with the story of the century, or they—or rather Edward—hit the road.

If he could credit Horn for anything, her reprimands were nothing short of legendary. She knew how to make a statement, and if you dared to cross her, mercy would be the last thing you could and should expect. Even his own mother wasn't that harsh on a good day. Nevertheless, they had their assignment, and time was wasting away.

Considering that it normally takes him around two weeks in the field to acquire the proper information and evidence for his stories, this task would be no easy feat. If their topic was covering the cases of savage predators in the city, the best place to start would be directly from the source: the families of the afflicted mammals. Obviously, the odds of learning new information about the situation would be slim at best. The interview would more than likely be for the sentimental value to gain the hearts of the reader. If they were going to delve deeper into this case and take this story seriously, they would have to treat it like they were the ZPD, like an investigation.

Anders would be their best bet if they wanted to score any interviews with the predator families, considering that he knew practically everyone in the city. Hopefully, his connection would be glad to assist them in their time of need.

Charles dug his cell phone from his pocket and dialed his coworker's number. After a few rings, his friend cheerfully answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Anders, it's Charlie." He smiled.

"What's up, Charles? Word around the office is that you and Eddy wound up in Horn's office."

Impressed by how quickly their visit circulated around the office, he quipped, "Word travels fast."

"What happened?"

"It's not important," he quickly avoided. "Listen, I need you to get me an interview. Has to be by today. Maybe near lunchtime if you can. Tell 'em were desperate."

"Who's our perp?" The pig asked giddily, not skipping a beat.

"Any one of the families of the savage preds."

There was a short pause after he gave him his target, followed by the sound of a pen on paper. A musical hum buzzed through the speaker. No doubt he was having fun with this one, despite the grim nature of the request.

"Got it," the prey chimed. "Anything else?"

"Yeah. If you could, compile a list of all the preds that've gone savage and any information that you can dig up about them, then send it to my z-mail."

"Sure."

"You're a big help Andy, I owe you one."

"Don't mention it."

With a string of goodbyes, he ended the speedy phone call. If there was anyone he could count on to get whatever he needed to be done, it would be Anders. He was dedicated, quick, persistent, and knew how to talk his way into anything. If Charles could bet on it, he'd wager that Anders would have that interview by around eleven o'clock, tops.

Now for the other third of the article.

His paws fiddled away at his phone until he reached his text messaging application, and pulled up his desired contact. Right away, his fingers quickly spelled out a string of messages.

_Hey babe! Hope you're havin a great morning so far. If you can, I need you to do me a huge favor for this story I'm writing, and I need to get a peek at some evidence. My friend is gonna lose his job if we don't._

Before he clicked send, he carefully reread the message. What he was about to ask for was a very large order, one that he'd never asked for before. Whether it was possible (let alone legal) was one thing, but putting yet another career on the chopping block was another issue entirely.

On one paw, they needed this intel. Even if they had to jump through hoops to get it, Charles would gladly take that chance. On the other paw, if this request was too much to fill, he'd have no choice but to just come to terms with that outcome. But he had to at least try.

The following sentences popped into existence as both of his striped thumbs flew across the screen. _We'll understand if you can't. Even if it's just the report, we'll take it. Please text me back as soon as you can._

Placing a heart at the end of his block of text, he tapped the send button and stuffed the device back into his pocket. No matter what answer he'd receive, he would be content.

He snapped back to the wolf that was now standing beside him, the oversized blazer folded over his silver arms. Both his ears were pushed to the back of his head as he continued to get lost in his own little world. How long had he been standing there like that? He looked completely enthralled with whatever he was thinking about if his gloomy expression was anything to go by.

Pushing the question to the back of his mind, Charles smiled while he adjusted his glasses. "Hey Eddy," he began, halting the wolf's train of thought as he aimed his attention at him. "You want to walk around for a while? I think a little bit of fresh air will do us both some good. What do you say?"

At first, the wolf just stared at him with this puzzled look on his face, as if he was trying to comprehend what the question entailed, then looked away with that same saddened look as before. There was no doubting it now, he was completely lost. Could he blame him? If any of what his friend was going through happened to him, he would more than likely be as distraught as Edward was right now, probably fired outright if his temperament with Horn was any indication.

Now that they were on top of things, a little break from the office wouldn't hurt. They were stuck doing nothing for the time being with Anders on the case and his love missing his texts like he always did, so a distraction was exactly what they needed.

With a sigh and a weak smile, probably coming to a similar conclusion, Edward looked up at him and answered his question. "Sure."

Flashing a smile of his own and taking the black blazer from his friend's shoulders, Charles strolled out of the restroom with Edward and into the savannah-themed lobby. The outside world seemed so close he could almost taste it. He cracked a smile as they neared the exit. _Outdoors, here we come,_ the tiger thought happily.

 

_**o  o  o** _

 

A pair of emerald eyes scanned the circular park. Several families were out and about, some were sprawled out on blankets and enjoying a nice and healthy brunch while others were playing games of soccer. It felt natural. Zootopia in the morning was always full of this life and charm that could be summed up with a single word: bliss. If only he weren't stuck in the office or out doing fieldwork for the Gazette all day, then he could just sit back, relax, and take in the fresh air.

Today the weather was warm and clear, almost the polar opposite of what hit the city yesterday. It was his time to enjoy this little moment before he was inevitably forced back into his job.

Charles brought the Jim Horkens coffee cup in his paw up to his lips and took a big sip of the beautiful caffeine sitting inside, a deep satisfied 'Mmm' rumbling in his throat.

Checking the hands on his silver watch, it was nearly eleven o'clock in the morning. He still hadn't received anything yet from either his boyfriend Thomas or Anders back at the office. Despite time slipping away from them, he wasn't too concerned with their pace. Gathering information effectively took time and precision. Rushing this delicate process was the last thing they needed and would only slow them down in the long run.

Right now, they were in the downtown district sitting on a bench in one of the most beautiful parks in the city, Peak Garden on Peak Street, and he was enjoying a cup of coffee with his friend and coworker. Life felt pretty grand in his eyes.

Unfortunately, however, his friend wasn't exactly on the same wavelength. He sported the same absent-minded look as before, brushing his thumb against the side of his own coffee cup repetitively.

Charles flashed him a loving half grin and stared at him for a brief moment, then looked back at the entirety of the park.

"It's a nice day today," The tiger began, hoping to stir any sort of response from the wolf. The twitch of his silver ear gave him the desired reaction for him to keep going, filling the silent air around them with a low grumble. "The sun's out, the sky's clear, and we've even got some coffee to boot."

Again, getting no type of response from him, the tiger's shoulders slumped as he took another swig of his beverage. Then, a memory played in his mind. He chuckled.

"I remember when you took me here for the first time. If I recall you sat me down right on this bench and gave me the biggest pep talk of my life. That was… what, two years ago?" The question hung in the air, as he tried to remember the exact date. "Yeah," he smiled, "two years ago. I never really got to tell you how thankful I was for you saving me. Must've been one hell of an experience to try and get me from that platform, right?"

Edward turned his head away from Charles, his shoulders raised up. Regretting mentioning it in the first place, he cleared his throat and started again, this time pushing the topic to their current dilemma.

"I called Anders to see if he could help us with getting an interview with one of the families of the savage predators, just so we have some more information in regards to what the families might be dealing with. Plus, I'm also trying to get a list of the mammals who've gone savage too, what they've done, who they were, that sorta deal. After that, we'll see what we can do from there."

"Do you think we can do it?"

Charles nodded his head. "Absolutely. We're gonna rock this story Ed, don't you worry about it."

Edward turned his head and looked at him, unconvinced. "Are… are you sure—"

A digitized electronic ringtone put a stop to whatever the wolf was attempting to say, and left him staring at the tiger as he fumbled about, looking to where he stuffed his cell phone. When he finally located it, he looked at the screen. A sly grin took over his muzzle. He then pointed the screen at Edward as he scanned the image of their pig coworker, Anders. As he pressed the green accept button, he replied with a gleeful, "Without a doubt."

He stood up and placed his coffee cup onto the wooden bench. He took a few steps forward, looking at the time before pulling the phone up to his ear. _10:57. Right on time._

"Hello?"

"Hey, Charles!"

The pure joy in his tone only strengthened the grin on his muzzle, and made him confident when he asked, "Were you able to find us a meeting with anyone?"

"Yep!" Feeling the need to celebrate, his fist pumped the air, then flashed a thumbs up to Edward as the pig continued spilling the details. "You're meeting is with Mrs. Lucille Otterton, wife of one of the savage preds, Emmitt Otterton, at Zootopia General Hospital. Your meeting will be at one o'clock this afternoon."

"This is great Andy…"

" _And_ ," he emphasized, "I've also got a list of the preds gone savage, all twenty-four of them. I'm still looking at their occupations, relations, and any other information related to them, but I'll keep updating the list when I learn anything more or if more preds… you know."

"I gotcha." Charles understood. "This is still great Anders, thank you so much."

"It's no problem. Oh," he paused, "If you see Edward, tell 'im I'm rooting for him."

A stunned look shot across his striped muzzle. "What do you—"

"I'm not an idiot Charles. I've known about his little secret for quite a while. Just a simple web search will bring up the little article they did on the 'first official interspecies couple in the Tri-Burrows,' which I think is a bit much in my opinion. Granted it's one of the smaller news outlets out near Bunnyburrow, but I'm not one to judge. Must be some secret if someone can just search it up online."

Unable and unwilling to admit to it, Charles shrugged. "I'll say."

"Anyways, I've got some other stuff to work on, so I'll keep you posted when I can."

"Thanks again, Andy."

"Anytime Charles."

Their phone call ended, leaving the tiger standing on the stone pathway in front of where Edward was sitting. For a moment, he didn't dare turn around. Was it because of Anders that he finally understood the gravity of Horn's threat to Edward? How was it that this critical piece of information was so easy to obtain? What would happen if this information were to leak in the heat of all the predator and prey nonsense going on in the city? If he were being honest, he didn't even want to find out, and he absolutely didn't want to imagine what both Sharla and Edward would face if they were to fail.

He stuffed the question down to the far reaches of his mind and took in a deep breath. He turned to Edward with a smile on his face.

"Well?" Edward inquired.

Charles hesitated with his reply, but managed to keep his cool. "We've got our meeting. Zootopia General, one o'clock."

Edward took a big sip of his coffee and let out a breath of his own. For a moment he sat there inert as he looked into the plastic top of his coffee cup. What went on in his friends head was still a mystery, even after years of knowing each other.

"Alright then," he simply stated before leaving the sanctity of the park bench, grabbing the lonely cup sitting beside him. The wolf handed him his drink and stood next to him looking fairly more confident than he was moments ago, taking the tiger by surprise. "Let's head out."


	4. A Different Point of View

Slowing his pace to a crawl, Edward looked upon the ginormous modern building with his heavy blue eyes. For some strange reason the feeling of drowsiness had swooped in stealthily in the time from the walk between the park and the hospital, and it just wouldn't leave. He wondered if it could have been from the abnormal amount of physical activity he had achieved today, but quickly dismissed the idea after remembering he wasn't entirely lazy. Walking to and from work and taking the subway did have _some_ physical exertion involved, plus he had the extra advantage of that short run from the train station yesterday.

So what was it? What caused him to be so suddenly lethargic? He pried about his mind to find the reason behind it as he continued to slowly stroll along the sidewalk, but while doing so he became distracted by the beauty and architectural wonder of the structure that so easily tugged at his attention.

In front of the building were the colorful gardens and meticulously trimmed trees that added life to the dull silver, grey, and black colors that defined certain sections of the hospital. On the front side of the four-story-high center section was a plethora of spotless clear windows that reflected the sunny blue sky. If one stood far enough and if their line of sight was clear, they could see into each of the resting areas for guests visiting the hospital. On the other paw, if a mammal was standing at the window on one of the upper floors, they could also look out to see the bay and the gigantic wall that separated the arid desert that was Sahara Square and the ice cube that was Tundra Town. Being a visitor once before on the third floor, the view wasn't like the one Edward had back at his office downtown, but it did enough to put him at some form of ease.

_At the time…_ He thought grimly. A frown crept onto his muzzle as he looked into the windows of the third floor.

It was still hard to believe that it had only been around two or three weeks since his last visit to Zootopia General. To him, it seemed like only yesterday that he was sitting right beside his mother's bedside while he and Sharla discussed their future together, and the plan they had laid out for the next phase of their life.

Something within him suddenly stirred as a paw reached out to a lamppost for support. The dreadful thought of his last visit came and went in the blink of an eye, and soon he found himself stopped just mere feet away from the protection of the canopied entrance. He could finally pinpoint the now obvious apprehension that nipped at his heart.

"How could she just keep that secret from us? Wait," he rolled his eyes, "because _I didn't want everyone to worry about me."_ Her answer echoed in a low whisper, minus her famously infectious motherly smile. If he were speaking truthfully, she was right. If she had told everyone about her illness and how far it had progressed over the years, everyone close to her would have halted their lives entirely to ensure she made a full recovery. That wasn't what she wanted in the end. What she wanted was to see her little pups grow up and make a living for themselves in this world. Fortunately enough, she got to see that wish become a reality.

Gary and his husband were living comfortably in the city and had their work cut out for them at the private security firm they worked for (hopefully not too busy with everything surrounding the whole debacle with Lionheart). Lavender had her boyfriend Louis as they worked tirelessly at the family farm. And finally, there was Edward and Sharla, who were working hard to make a modest living in the city.

At the end of it all, what she left behind was a legacy of kindness and selflessness that made her who she was, a remarkably strong wolf anyone could look up to. Of all the times they had together, how he would give anything just to see that smile of hers again, just one last time. The emptiness alone was harrowing enough to crush any amount of spirit he had left. It was as if a piece of his very soul had been ripped out and trampled on right in front of him. No picture or video could even come close to the real thing, and he barely had the strength to set his eyes on a single one since her passing…

"Edward?"

The low voice caught him by surprise as he pulled out of his thoughts with an involuntary jump. His heart nearly skipped an entire beat.

"You okay buddy? You've been standing there for a good minute."

"I'm fine." Edward awkwardly grinned at Charles. The last thing he wanted was to start a whole conversation involving anything about his family. But, no matter how hard he smiled, all his friend did was raise an eyebrow and continue to unconvincingly stare at him.

"Really?" he asked skeptically.

Edward finally conceded and let out a breath. It was obvious he wasn't going to let him dwell on his depressing thoughts and memories, not that he wanted to in any way.

"It's just…"

He looked away and stared off into the distance, his train of thought beginning to piece itself back together. Charles was still standing beside him, more than likely looking for some explanation as to why he stopped. But of all mammals who knew him the best, did he really need to explain himself? The answer was just sitting right in front of them after all.

The wolf waited for some way to initiate his needless reasoning as the right words floated wildly around him, refusing to form any coherent sentence. His foot began to tap angrily on the cement. He knew what exactly he wanted to say, but why couldn't he just say it? 'The hospital reminded him of _that_ day.' His mouth opened in a feeble attempt to speak his mind and say those exact words, but to no avail.

_Say the words Edward,_ he thought bitterly. _Just say the blasted words already!_

He began to feel frustrated and started to fume as tears nearly filled his eyes. It was as if he was taken back to his toddler years and was unable to talk, unable to say exactly what he wanted or needed to in order to assuage himself.

"It's alright," Charles murmured softly, calling his attention again. His face bore a warm smile that melted away some of his anger. Before long it somehow naturally calmed him back down to manageable levels. "You don't have to go in there if you don't want to. No one's forcing you to go back."

"What do you mean?" he challenged. "Our jobs are on the line, Charlie, not to mention the fact that this interview is crucial for our story. Besides, it would be rude of me to make you do all the work for _our_ article. I'm gonna have to start pulling my weight eventually. It might as well be here."

"Are you sure? I seriously don't mind if you don't—"

"I'm taking this interview, Charles. Just stop."

The tiger looked at him wide-eyed for a moment, then yielded as he went back to his normal smile. "Alright then, chief. You'll be the interviewer." He comically gestured for Edward to take the lead and nearly laughed before asking in the best nerdy accent he could, "Shall we discuss what kind of questions you want to ask on our way to the room?"

Edward shot his striped friend a look and began to walk towards the entrance of the building, trying his best to hide the grin plastered on his muzzle. "How 'bout we talk about it when we get there," he compromised.

"Fair enough," his friend shrugged as he adjusted his glasses, this time in his normal voice. After that, Edward led the way to the entrance under the canopy.

To Edward, there was humor to be found in the fact that after all this time, Charles still knew how to brighten his spirit. However, if he were being honest with himself, there wasn't really any merit being surprised by this fact—they've known each other since they were in grade school, not to mention the fact they once were a couple—of course of all mammals he'd certainly be the one to understand.

So, perhaps instead of seeing the humor in Charles's cheery spirit, his acknowledgment could better be explained with a feeling of gratitude. Accepting this as his reasoning, Edward's grin grew into a loving smile and took the newfound good vibes in stride as the automatic glass doors slid open fully to reveal the lobby.

The first step he took inside, recollection of the layout of the building—more specifically, everything from the lobby to the elevators—started coming back to him. The first detail he noticed was the jungle theme that the entrance took on, which reminded him heavily of the Rainforest District, minus the rain of course. A wavy sand-colored marble paved the pathways to the left and right side of the building. That path also led to the front desk, where two mammals sat, one young and one old, taking on the visitors as they entered the hospital. Once they were spoken to, given a badge, some would be told to wait before they could visit their friends and loved ones. They were invited to relax and wait in the lounge areas on either side of the lobby until they were called back up to the counter yet again to get the room number.

Both sides of the waiting area were decorated with a dark hardwood floor where comfy tan-colored chairs and couches met the mammals who had to remain in the area. The walls were painted a dark green with lighter symmetrical leaf-shaped patterns that spanned the entire width of the wall. In the middle of the lobby was a round column that stretched up to the glass ceiling of the fourth floor, decorated to look like a forest tree.

Located to the right of the lobby was a pharmacy and gift store where mammals could purchase over the counter prescription medicine or some card, flowers, or plush animal that usually had the words 'get well soon' somewhere on it.

Would it be wrong to buy something like that for a grieving otter whose husband was subject to something that no one knew how to crack?

Forgetting he even thought of the cruel joke, the wolf stopped in front of the desk with his friend trailing right behind. The older female rabbit smiled as he approached her.

"Hello dearies," she greeted happily.

Both of her ears were pointed straight up in the air and her face bore a gleaming smile that warmed his heart even more. She wore a white button-up shirt and a deep blue sweater, an amethyst necklace dangling just below her collarbones. If memory served him right, she was actually the first animal he met when he first visited Zootopia General, and her name was Gloria Thumper.

Her infectious grin finally caught onto him as he smiled back. "Good afternoon."

"I hope you're doing okay." Slowly her ears began to dip down, and her voice ever so softer as she continued. "I didn't get a chance to say this before, but I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am that Charolete passed. Your mother was one of the kindest mammals I've ever met, and it's so sad to see her gone so soon."

"Yeah, you can say that again…" he mumbled and trailed off himself, his own ears starting to fall.

"I don't know if your mother told you or not, but her and I actually grew up together in the Burrows."

"You did?"

"Absolutely!"

_Small world…_ he thought wryly.

"We used to get into all sorts of trouble when we were kids. One time, we even went so far as to take our boyfriends to this outdoor pool area at night when everything was closed and just swam to our heart's content."

At first, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not once did his mother ever mention anything about when she was a kid to him. He was shocked.

The bunny cackled as she continued, "That night, not only did we get arrested and charged with trespassing, but we had to beg for our lives that we didn't get charged with indecent exposure." The fawn sitting next to her sat there looking absolutely appalled at her coworker, her mouth agape. "Oh, close your mouth, Alice. I may be some cute little old rabbit, but I too was your age once. I can have a little fun and mischief every once in a while."

She turned back to the stunned wolf who was stuck on the dreaded 'c' word and continued with her story.

"Anyways, we were lucky enough to know the cop that transferred us to the police station, and he just charged us with trespassing. Our parents were _not_ pleased with us that night. After that, we kind of took it easy and started to grow up a bit, then eventually parted ways when I took up nursing and went to university. We still kept in touch here and there, and eventually, it just stopped. The next time we spoke she came to the hospital for the first time, and I was sitting right in this very chair. We started catching up when she came here to get her annual checkups, and she even joined the book club I'm a part of to take her mind off of everything. She always enjoyed a good adventure."

"That she did." Edward nodded, remembering her nighttime storytelling she did before her litter went off to bed.

Before his fourteenth birthday, he and his mother would partake in an hour of fantasy and wonder while his brother and sister complained that they were simply 'too old for some stupid story.' The two of them nearly made it through their entire collection before high school consumed all of Edward's valuable time and eventually became some distant memory he wished he hadn't forgotten. He made a mental note—more of a promise really-that when he had the guts to visit his old home, he would finish up the remaining books in that bookcase.

"You fancy a good story?"

"Sometimes." He shrugged. "It depends on the genre really."

"Well, we're currently reading a science fiction novel. It's got everything a young mammal like yourself will ever need. Plus, it's got some exhilarating action that even some old lady like me can enjoy."

The offer didn't sound bad to the wolf. Take a day to relax and spend some time with other animals rather than sitting cooped up in his apartment complex for the rest of the day? If he and Charles weren't already preoccupied with this task, he would agree right on the spot.

"I'll definitely consider it."

Gloria noticeably beamed. "Great to hear it. We're always looking for more readers to join in." She let out a steady exhale. "But anyway, enough of my rambling. What can I do for you today? Something tells me you didn't just come here to chat with some old nostalgic bunny."

The joke caused a laugh to escape from Edward's muzzle. But she was right; he was on a mission. "I'm actually here to visit a relative of a patient here."

She turned to the computer as her paws hovered over the keyboard in front of her. "What's the name of the patient?"

"Emmitt Otterton."

Both her ears perked at the name. It was clear she knew full well who that mammal was. Her eyes were staring at the computer screen, but she wasn't paying attention to the information on it. What she was doing was carefully deliberating something in that head of hers. More specifically, about the savage otter.

If her body language meant anything, it was that this interview might actually hit a minor snag.

"I'm sorry," Gloria frowned, "For the sake of the families involved, at this time, only family members of the afflicted predators are allowed to come in for visitation. Just this week we've had to turn away four major and local news outlets 'cause they were hunting down these poor mammals for some silly story."

The silver wolf stood there for a moment processing her words, an astonished look on his face. Journalism and interviews were perfectly fine if the writer or interviewer respected the boundaries of the mammal involved, but crossing that fine line was unacceptable. Edward absolutely hated that aspect of his line of work and couldn't stand that those gossipy news stories about celebrities and famous mammals in magazines even existed. With everything going on, they—those sleazy magazine writers—were putting the savage predators in that category.

It was indeed horrible. However, he couldn't help that this interview he and Charles were about to conduct was going to make them cross that fine line. He'd be lying if it didn't make him feel horrible about putting Mrs. Otterton through this.

For the sake of conversation, he regrettably muttered, "That's awful."

"Isn't it? What's worse is the fact that they stalked the entrance for them to come out after their visit. They just couldn't take 'no' for an answer. We even had to beef up our security!"

Bass rumbled in Edward's ears as his striped friend spoke for the both of them, "Well if it's any consolation, we actually have a soul let alone common sense, ma'am."

"Is that so?" Her brow raised.

Charles laughed. "It is! Lucile is actually expecting us today, there's nothing to worry about on that end."

"Well, if that's the case, then go over by the waiting area until Mrs. Otterton arrives. That way I can check with her. Please understand, it's not that I don't trust you are anything—you both seem like wonderful animals—it's just for the sake of the family."

"We understand," Charles said, a smile on his face. He nudged Edward on the shoulder and gestured to follow him to the fake rainforest section to the right of them. Showing gratitude for her time, Edward thanked Gloria and trailed behind his friend.

The two predators found open spaces against the far wall of the lounge next to the pharmacy that accommodated their size. Beside them, a couple of chairs away, a mother and her piglet son sat comfortably in their spots reading and coloring, respectively.

Edward and Charles took their places and sat down. Out of the corner of the wolf's eye, he noticed that the pig turned her head toward them. Almost instantaneously he felt her eyes pierce the very flesh under his fur, leaving him with this unwanted tension that loomed like a curse over his head.

What came next crushed his spirit almost completely. The grown mammal shut her book and hopped off her chair, asking her son to grab his things as she took a hold of his hoof and guided him over to the other half of the lobby. The piglet had this confused look on his face as he tried desperately to hang on to all of his belongings with his free hoof.

Edward's shoulders slumped as a short exhale left his snout. What he just witnessed was nearly identical to what he'd experienced on the train the day prior, and what he felt was nothing short of offended.

Disheartened, he looked back over at the counter of the reception desk. What he saw was a more profound expression on Gloria's face. From what he could tell, she was standing up on her chair, her paws clenched into tight fists. Clearly, she felt the same way. It was almost like she was about to leap from her place and pounce. The thought brought the wolf back into a more cheerful state of mind as his anxiety began to fade.

At least someone was willing to fight for them.

Before she had a chance to notice him staring in her direction, he turned his attention to Charles, who decided at that point to start a conversation. "Maybe we should discuss what kind of questions we want to ask before we get caught up in this interview? We wouldn't want to be the proverbial deer in the headlights when we were the ones to request this, right?"

Edward nodded his head and pulled out his phone. The tiger similarly grabbed a notebook from his back pocket and flipped open to a new page, pulling out the pen from the spiral wire spine.

For the next thirty minutes, both of them carefully deliberated the content of their interview and how they would conduct themselves. It was essential they get this right.

 

_**o  o  o** _

 

When Edward walked through the doors out of the elevator lobby, the silver wolf was greeted with what could best be described as a sea of mint-flavored ice cream with succulent chunks of dark chocolate chips. He could imagine its great aroma filling his nasal cavities and the captivating cool taste on the tip of his tongue, prompting his entire mouth to salivate.

If only reality wasn't so bland and harrowing.

What was actually around him were the light minty colored walls of the leftmost section of the hospital on the second floor, one of the oldest sections of the entire building, predating the gigantic modern additions of the rest of the hospital. The floors were made up of checkered white and green tiles, and on the walls were dark framed pictures of the past. Each image contained different scenes of varying location and theme. Some were of landmarks from around the world, others with the look of the older hospital building surrounded by an even older city. Some even had groups of nurses and staff from previous generations.

Looking at those grainy black and white photos brought him some charming nostalgic memories—more specifically, the memories of his youth and the fun times he had frolicking around the farm back in what felt like eons ago, when everything was pragmatic and simple.

He could almost picture it clearly in his head. The feeling of the fresh open air, the warmth of the summer sun, the sound of crops, leaves rustling gently through the mild breeze, and insects chirping their catchy tunes as he slowly strolled through the edge of the fields. The setting always managed to enthrall him, almost beating out his love for storms and how calming they were. But, seeing as how the rainfall from the yesterday treated him, that setting might just be beaten out. The only thing he could feel after that was the hefty amounts of stress amidst the pain he felt in his heart.

Those peaceful settings provided him the spark he needed to get through the challenges of his life. Now it seemed as if the spark had vanished without a trace.

He wondered if that light would ever return to him again.

Apart from the scrumptious looking walls, there was the nauseating smell of the clean, sterile air that made his snout wrinkle in disgust. The scent usually pervaded the depths of every hospital, the need for cleanliness in place so that bacteria and germs couldn't add on to the already growing list of problems a patient could have.

_I guess some scented air fresheners are out of the question then?_ Edward joked to himself.

Through the entire length of the spacious hallway, the space along the walls remained almost entirely clear, with the occasional piece of medical equipment sitting just outside some of the doorways. There were hardly any tables to speak of. The minimalistic décor struck this section of the hospital far different than the hustle and bustle of the area where his mother was kept.

It seemed like it wasn't meant for much visitation at all. The doors were scuffed up and had seen considerable wear and use over the years, and the windows on the doors had this wire mesh that differed from the normal hospital look he was used to. Even the fluorescent lighting gave some hints of flickering, fueling the eerie atmosphere even more. This indeed wasn't an ordinary section of the hospital.

The only correlation he could make was with some random collection of movies and books in his mental library, their setting the only thing each story had in common: a gritty, old insane asylum. A bad, chilling feeling washed over him.

_Is_ this _where they are keeping the savage predators?_

Muffled booms of laughter brought him back to Zootopia General and whatever conversation the otter and tiger were having together a couple paces ahead of him.

"I'll keep that in mind." Charles grinned. The wolf put on a smile as well and quietly laughed along with them to keep face and not show any apprehension or anxiousness in front of their interviewee.

Charles and Lucile took another few steps before stopping at one of the dirty mint green doors. The larger mammal went ahead and turned the silver knob, opening the door with ease and slowly revealing the room before them. The maddening sound of creaking filled the sterile air, Edward's ears impulsively turning themselves to listen against his will.

"After you Mrs. Otterton."

She smiled and gave a slight bow of appreciation before entering inside. "Thank you."

The wolf sped up and attempted to follow behind the smaller animal. However, he became distracted by something catching his eye.

Drilled into the wall was a plastic container with a clipboard sitting inside. Looking closer at the papers clipped onto the wooden board inside he could spot the picture of the predator in question printed on the page. Based on the headshot, the otter wore a green sweater vest and a button-up with a red tie in a tight Windsor knot. On his face was a pair of big black-framed glasses shielding happy brown eyes that just melted his heart. What on earth did he look like now?

Edward thanked Charles for holding the door for him and walked quickly into the dimly lit room.

In the time he took looking at the photograph outside, the otter had already sat down in a comfy wooden rocking chair and set her basket of yarn and sewing needles down onto the floor next to it. Beside the chair was a table, a very decorative plant and a stack of cups on top of it. A sink and bathroom were located just along the back wall.

The room itself was barely large enough to accommodate for Charles's size; he even had to hunch over to get through the doorway. It looked exactly like the hallway did, and the air still had that horrid stench to it. Above them was a single pair of fluorescent lights covered by a protective plastic sheet and old Styrofoam tile roofing which, in some places, showed some apparent water damage.

To their left was a large window that looked into the room next to the one they were in. From what he could see, the room looked empty, confusingly empty. He was sure that this was Emmitt's room based on the picture on the wall, so where was he?

Then, he could hear it.

The sharp sounds of scuffling and odd rapid fire sniffing that reminded him of the nature of his own species. It wasn't coming from Lucile or even from Charles, but rather from the room next to theirs.

He took some steps forward as more of the room came slowly into view. Then, once the entire room could be seen, he stopped.

Prowling around on all fours was one of the fifteen missing mammals that were recently found, and one of the now twenty-four savage predators in Zootopia: Emmitt Otterton, in the flesh.

The otter circled around the metal pole perpendicular to the floor as he sniffed every inch of the area he was permitted to roam. Around his body was a harness that was attached to the top of the metal spire, which prevented him from tearing what little equipment that was in the room apart. More importantly, it helped the hospital staff take care of him in his primitive condition so they wouldn't get injured themselves.

For a while, all that Edward could do was stare. Of everything he'd seen prior to being in that room—all the pictures, all the videos, all the stories—they all lacked the little something that put it all into perspective. Being there, seeing a savage predator for the first time with his very own eyes, there was nothing that could quite describe it. Despite all of his unheard wishes, what he was seeing was indeed real.

Seeing Emmitt in the state he was in put everything about savage predators in perspective. He could barely keep his focus. If his memory served correctly, when this whole issue began it started with only fifteen savage predators that spanned a months' time at the very least. Just this week, there had been nine more incidents, and with them, nine more predators having gone feral. And it was only Wednesday.

If that pace were to continue throughout the entire week, there was a good chance at least thirty predators would be affected. There was a good chance it could inflate to something extreme _…_

"Can you 'ere me?" Charles spoke abruptly in a cheesy British accent.

Edward snapped his head toward the animal hunched down to his left, and let out a sigh before bringing his nerves back down. The accent reminded him of an old cinematic version of a musical, very dark, very bloody, and surprisingly very catchy. The lead role was played by some major A-list fox actor, by the name of Johnny Vepp if he wasn't mistaken.

A grim tune of one of the songs fluttered through his head as he put on a half-smile, quietly replying with affirmation, "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

With a calming breath, he prepared himself for the inevitable. It was time. Edward turned back to the otter patiently sitting in the wooden rocking chair.

"Sorry about that," he began lightly, "I didn't mean to be rude. This is just the first time I've ever seen anyone in this condition before—face to face I mean."

Receiving no response from the smaller animal sitting in front of him, he cleared his throat and continued, pulling out his phone.

"For this interview, my colleague Charles will be taking notes as we go along, and I will be recording this onto my phone. Do you mind if you're recorded?"

She shook her head. "By all means."

"Great. And another thing, you don't have to answer any questions you don't want to. You can also go into as much detail as you wish, and if you ask us not to use a certain statement we will happily oblige the request."

She flashed the same smile and nodded, understanding the terms.

Edward shone a complacent smile of his own as he looked away from the otter and back down at the device in his grip, quickly navigating to the 'voice memo' application and opening it with a soft tap.

Before the app loaded he looked around the room and recalled how everything sounded when he spoke, quickly taking the reverberation and noise into account as he tried to find a good place to stand. To make things easy, he decided to remain where he was and hold the phone in his paw while the interview went on. He silently hoped his arm wouldn't get tired.

He looked over at his coworker sitting on the edge of the table to see if he was ready to begin. In his paws was the notebook and pencil he had stuffed away in his back pocket that was now flipped to a fresh new page. The tiger nodded in confirmation as he prepared himself for the wolf's opening.

Edward took in a breath and slowly exhaled, mentally preparing himself one final time. His paw tapped the red button, and then he started to speak robotically.

"Otterton Interview. Wednesday, May 25th, 2016." Looking away from his phone, he kept it at chest level as he adorned his normal voice again. "I'm very glad you could meet with us today Mrs. Otterton. Before we begin, I would like to thank you again for accepting our request to meet here today. I understand that with everything going on it must be very difficult."

"It is," she agreed, "With my Emmitt in his state, it's been rough trying to manage everything around the house. On top of running our family's flower shop, my boys always ask me how their dad's doing or if he's getting better, and…" She trailed off, looking past the wolf and toward her husband crawling around the room behind him. "You can't just tell them there's nothing they can do to help their dad. It'll break their hearts. So I tell them 'they're doing everything they can to help,' and that 'they'll find something to bring him back,' just to calm them down. I don't even have the heart to bring them here to visit. Seeing their dad like this…it would be cruel."

One could see the anguish in her eyes as she looked at the otter behind Edward. It was truly painful to witness. Over the silence the two of them shared, Charles furiously wrote in the notebook, glancing up now and again to catch Mrs. Otterton's expressions.

Just looking at her response to the introductory statement alone painted a clear picture for how things were fairing outside of the hospital. She must've been stressed out of her mind. On top of visiting her husband, she had a business to deal with, two kids that needed to be fed and cared for, then the upkeep of their home, and finally taking care of herself as well. He couldn't imagine what was going through her mind.

For the sake of the interview, the wolf went ahead and threw the first question out into the open, catching the attention of the small green-eyed otter.

"How did you feel when you were notified your husband had been found?"

"I was ecstatic," she said without missing a beat, "When they told me they found my Emmitt I could hardly believe it. I don't think I even hung up the phone; I rushed over to the hospital to see him. I was going to tell him how much our babies missed him and how I missed him, that everything would go back to normal..."

He knew there was more to the story, and figured where it was leading up to. Debating whether to call it morbid curiosity or just simply doing his job, he inquired, "Then?"

"Then…I got to the hospital. I found out which room they were keeping him in and I ran as fast as I could. When I got to the wing it was jam-packed with officers and doctors, scrambling to get everyone into their rooms and make sure no one got hurt. I wasn't really paying attention to everything going on, I was just so determined. I wanted to see him again, to make sure he was okay. When I finally got into my Emmitt's room I saw him, and I couldn't believe my eyes. They found him. My Emmitt was home.

"I didn't exactly see what was going on at first. All I could see was that my husband was finally home and safe. As soon as I touched that door I was stopped by a nurse standing right beside me." She gestured toward the door to the patient's room. "She was able to bring me back to my senses before I made it into the room. When I looked inside through that window, I saw _that_ side of him. I could hardly believe that it was my Emmitt. He looked so…different."

Edward turned backward towards the savage predator and gazed at his face. His back arched as he stood upward on his hind legs and looked in his direction. If he didn't have the harness strapped on his body and was wearing a shirt, it would seem like he was just crouched down on the floor like a normal mammal.

However, the way his enlarged, darkened pupils stared into the wolf's blue eyes told another story entirely. The Emmitt Otterton she knew looked like he was far away from what they were seeing in front of them.

_What'd he become_ , Edward wondered silently to himself. Although 'feral' was the obvious answer, he didn't want to call him as such. Perhaps there was some part of him that still existed in this savage version of the poor otter.

"Do you think the real Emmitt is still in there?" he curiously pondered.

_Biscuits._ As soon as the words left his muzzle he instantly regretted them. The question was meant mainly for himself, but the words compulsively came to fruition. So he wasn't surprised when the otter sitting behind him gloomily said:

"No comment."

And that was that.

As he and Charles suspected, her first couple of responses brought a dark tone to their gathering. This wouldn't get them anywhere if their interviewee shot them down because their questions were heavily focused on Emmitt's current state. They already knew what his current state was—he was right in front of them. What they would have to do is brighten the interview up and follow the plan the two of them carefully structured if they wanted to get any more information out of Mrs. Otteron.

So, Edward went along with the next question on his list.

"What did Emmitt do for a living? You told us that you and your family run a flower shop, correct? I suspect he's quite skilled when it comes to different flowers."

"He really is," she nodded. "My Emmitt always has a way with making any bouquet beautiful. I honestly think he's one of the best. He treats everyone like family, and because of that, we haven't had one unsatisfied customer since we opened. Our boys even picked up a thing or two when watching their dad work. Since he went missing, we've had to close up our store and focus on finding him. Then he was found and registered here at the hospital, and he hasn't seen any signs of getting better. We don't know when we'll be open again."

"What's the name of your shop?"

"'Otterton Floral Arrangements.'"

Edward looked over at Charles, the tiger giving him a thumbs up after quickly jotting down the name of the store on his pad of paper.

"I'll keep that in mind when I want to surprise my wife," he jested.

The otter chuckled lightly at his response. At least she was now sporting a faint smile.

He looked down at the recording and watched his device take in every little sound around them, all of the noise mainly coming from the savage otter in the room beside them.

_Let's keep this thing going._

"So, Mrs. Otterton, I've been meaning to ask you this. Mammals like me—news types, newspaper outlets, etcetera—have been grueling to get an interview with someone related to one of the afflicted predators, even going as far as staking outside the hospital to chase these animals down. Why did you agree to this meeting today and give us that chance?"

After the question left the wolf's lips, it hung in the air as the otter looked vacantly at his face. He waited patiently against the window as his thoughts wandered off.

When creating this list of questions, there was general curiosity as to why exactly they landed this interview given what they were told by Gloria. Mammals would kill for this scoop, and surely this wasn't the first time she had been asked or berated for this opportunity. Ander's charm only stretched so thin.

So why were they so lucky? Edward was the first to ask this question, and was truthfully very curious. When he first mumbled it under his breath it didn't seem like something that would fit into what exactly they were trying to generate for their story. However, Charles insisted they include it for two reasons. The first reason was for rubbing this in the noses of other outlets and companies who would more than likely never get this chance to be the first to get an interview from a family member. Although he didn't share his friend's modest approach, he understood it enough to lackadaisically agree.

His second reason to include the question was that it actually was a decent question to ask for their story, depending on her answer. If he had a guess, this would undoubtedly be used at the very end, a nice topper to drive their point home.

But, it all depended on how their otter responded.

"When I turn on the news in the morning," she began, "all I see is the bad side of our group and the shame us poor predators receive because of who we are. It's not right. What makes it worse is that they only focus on his 'savageness' and never even touch on the part of him we all know and love. Call it silly, but I wanted to at least try and change that by doing this interview. I wanted to show others he isn't just some savage predator; his name is Emmitt Otterton, a florist with two wonderful children, a successful business, and one of the biggest hearts anyone could ever know."

The wolf couldn't help but beam at her humble response. "I don't think what your doing is silly at all. Actually, it's really admirable. I agree, I don't think anyone really does consider what these predators were like before they got like this, and I really think we should focus on that aspect a bit more. They aren't all bad, especially in Emmitt's case. Very well said, Mrs. Otterton."

"Thank you."

Unbeknownst to her, she actually managed to knock out another question on their list. The general idea of the topic simply aimed at her thoughts on the situation as a whole. For the sake of redundancy, he made the executive decision to skip it entirely, having more than enough info already in that department.

Feeling the uncomfortable static feeling in his legs and feet, he took a second to stretch them out and began to slowly walk around the room as the next question bounced off the minty colored walls.

"As you may have heard in the news, Mayor Leodore Lionheart was arrested for the involvement of the recent missing mammal cases. In his absence, Dawn Bellwether has taken up the reins as the mayor of Zootopia and has been working to find a solution to this issue. What do you think? Do you think Dawn will be able to find an effective solution to this issue?"

The sound of the wild otter's claws scraping across the tile floor and the chilling snarls emanating from his muzzle quietly reverberated over the silence in their room. Lucile wrung her hands together slowly as she spoke in a soft voice.

"Lionheart looked like such a sweetheart." She unenthusiastically grinned. "It's a shame he got involved in something so… sinister. It feels like yesterday when I got the chance to vote for him, one of the first predator mayors in the city's history. It was wonderful. Now that he's gone, I don't know what to think. I can't really say anything for or against Dawn because I don't really know that much about her, so if you're asking _when_ we'll see a treatment for this, I have faith that it'll be sooner rather than later."

Once Charles finished writing down his notes, he looked up from his notepad and shot a nod in Edward's direction who took the cue attentively.

"Finally, do you think that there's enough being done?"

Her paw left the other as her lips parted. Edward attentively prepared for her next answer, but retracted as she slumped back in her rocking chair.

"No comment," she responded tersely.

Edward raised his brow, not anticipating her short response, but respectfully conceded knowing that it would only hinder them if they started to press for more information.

So instead, he put on a smile and cleared his throat, "And that's about everything. Thank you again, Mrs. Otterton. It really does mean a lot to us that you gave us this chance."

"It was nothing, really."

After ending the recording and stashing the notes away, Edward and Charles shook the otter's paw in turn.

"We'd love to stay and chat more, but Edward and I have to get going. We can't just go on caffeine alone now can we?" The rumbly bass of the tiger chuckled. "Please, take care of yourself, Lucile."

"You too Charles, Edward."

The two _Gazette_ writers made their way to the exit and stepped back into the minty hallway, closing the grimy door behind them.

As soon as the door shut completely Edward let out all of his built-up anxiety in the form of a sigh, expelling all of the terrible smelling air from his system. Whether it was the lack of food, his deprived caffeine levels, or his sheepish nature, he could feel his arms and legs start to shake while his heart rate felt like it was nearly double its normal pace.

"That went really well. Like, really, _really_ well," Charles grinned. Edward sluggishly followed behind the tiger as they began to make their way to the elevators. His friend giddily continued their conversation in a hushed tone, "Did you hear what she said about wanting to change the hearts of mammals in the city? Wow, what a quote!"

"I wouldn't raise your tone, especially in this neck of the hospital—"

"I know, I know, but Ed, this quote is gonna be _the_ perfect end to our story! And here you thought we couldn't do it."

"Yeah…" His paw anxiously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Come on Ed! We just got the scoop of the century! Not even ZNN could get their guys in here, not to mention the other news outlets. We should be thrilled!"

"Yeah," he repeated uneasily.

Edward's focus left his friend as he glanced at the pictures of the distant past. One image he'd seen upon entering this section of the building called his attention once again. It was of the older version of the hospital, and the glorious looking city behind it. How he wished he could turn back the clock to see Zootopia in its heyday. It would certainly beat the chaotic situation of the present.

Although he couldn't help but ask himself the same question his friend did. Why wasn't he excited? He was right; they had gotten something that other outlets couldn't even get their hands on. So why was he so anxious?

They nearly reached the end of the hallway when Charles quietly mumbled, "It was Emmitt, wasn't it?"

The wolf tilted his head, more or less with confusion. His mind barely even registered that his friend was speaking.

"Sorry, I missed that. Did you say something?"

Quickly dismissing it, Charles shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Ed. It wasn't important. Right now, we've got to figure out what we're going—"

The familiar tone of the tiger's phone buzzed and rang inside of his denim jean pocket. His striped paw quickly dug the device out and brought it to his face. He stared at the name of the contact for only a few seconds before scurrying back down the hallway to answer it. He covered the phone's speaker as he pardoned himself. "Excuse me. Hello…?"

The name Tommy hit Edward's ears before he walked through the doors into the elevator lobby, and nearly set off his interest before the doors cut that idea short. He had all the time in the world to ask.

 

_**o  o  o** _

 

"Tommy! How's life at the ZPD, hon?"

"Shut up Charlie," the voice on the other end of the line muttered. Charles wisely obeyed his boyfriend's orders. "What in the world do you mean you need to see some evidence!? I can't believe you. One, obviously _that's_ against the _law_ , and two, I'll lose my job! Are you out of your freaking mind!?"

"Maybe," he snarked innocently, "but, that's why I mentioned the report."

"I don't care! You're lucky I don't just haul you down to the precinct right now!"

"But, you wouldn't… mainly because you love me oh-so-much? I bet you couldn't bear the thought of sending your poor ol' Charlie to jail, couldn't you?"

Between them was a stark moment of silence that Charles couldn't help but snicker at. Then, on the other end of the line, a long groan filled the speaker on his phone.

"You're _so_ lucky I love you."

"That I am. Now, how about the report? Is it possible we can take a look at that instead?"

"Eager to get to the point are we?" The mammal mumbled quietly on the other end of the line. "I'm… actually not sure. Let me check in with someone else who actually _cares_ about the safety of his job. You owe me big, Charlie."

"Don't worry," Charles grinned, "I may have an idea on how to make it up to you."

"Is that so?"

"Well, I may not be a dancer for one of the greatest pop stars of this generation, but I think I have a few moves up my sleeve. Maybe I could show you them… tonight? How about that? You know you can't resist."

"Ooooh, how tempting," Tommy chuckled. "Alright, deal."

"Great. Thanks again hon."

"Anytime babe. I gotta get back to work. Stay safe out there."

"I will."

"Love you."

"Love you too."


	5. Between the Lines

A slow breath poured from Edward's sliver and white colored muzzle as he stared up at the blue sky over Zootopia. It had been around a half hour since their talk with Mrs. Otterton, and now he and Charles were strolling through the streets of the city with their newly acquired information in paw. With four hours having elapsed since they received their task, the first step of gathering information for the article was complete, and now they had something other mammals wished they could get their paws on.

The more Edward thought about the interview, the more his head began to press against the side of his skull as the wolf grumpily rubbed his temples. It was futile to sooth the headache that tempted to distract him, but he couldn't help but try and relieve some of the pressure.

It seemed like with all of the information, all of the things he saw, heard, and felt, his brain and body were being overclocked to their limits. His tired legs could barely keep up with his friend as they continued to carry him along the sidewalk. In fact, he managed to fall behind…again, with good reason.

Edward couldn't stop thinking about seeing Emmitt at the hospital. For the first time since the announcement at the Zootopia Police Department, he was able to finally see first paw what exactly a savage animal looked like face to face, and he wasn't glad that he did.

Looking into the otter's eyes when he came into the room nearly brought him back to that panicked, fearful state he was in earlier in the morning. It was as if his entire body was on edge, as if his instincts were trying desperately to warn him that this animal was a serious threat and that he should avoid him at all costs—as if he didn't know that already. It took him nearly everything he had not to have a serious meltdown in that hospital room. Gone was the cheery otter from the picture on the wall _._ What remained in that room was nothing more than a feral monster, hell-bent on the maiming and mauling of the mammals around him until they were nothing but carcasses.

_He looked…so different,_ Edward pondered.

What if _he_ suddenly turned for the worse? How would he react? Who would get hurt? He may be scrawny and weak, but the last thing anyone should do is doubt the nature of a predator, especially one that has gone savage, right?

Where would the mammal known as Edward Varian Snow go? Would his former self just cease to be, trapped under the weight of his natural instincts?

More importantly, how would the animals around him react? How would the mammals he'd come to know and love throughout his life think of him if he became this…thing?

_Fear…_ his thoughts answered coldly.

But his thinking didn't stop there. Upon receiving his chilling answer, something in the far reaches of his mind stirred, something from his childhood.

Then it came to him. Three words were reluctantly thought and mouthed upon this revelation.

_Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust._

A chill rode down Edward's spine. With everything going on and of all the things that he could've remembered from his youth, of course it would be some silly little stage play that would throw his mind in a tizzy, especially with everything currently going wrong in Zootopia.

If only things were different. When he heard those three words all that time ago, he never truly understood their meaning in that scenario—back when savagery still divided mammalkind all those years ago.

Now that he was older, able to look over that play with a clearer mind, what better time to remember it than in the midst of all this conflict.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

It was the day of the Carrot Days Festival in the Burrows, and nearly everyone was excited to go. _Nearly._ Lavender and Gary couldn't wait to get to the different carnival games that were lined up along the pathways just so they could spend their tickets on some plush toy or useless accessory that they would forget about in the coming weeks. Edward's mother and father finally got the chance to get out of their stuffy house and talk with some of their friends going to the festival with their own children after weeks of tending to the farm. Edward, on the other paw, seemed like the only one who wasn't entirely interested about attending the festival.

With everyone in the family against him, including his parents, he was forced to attend no matter how much dissatisfaction he expressed.

When they got to the festival, his parents had graciously given the three of them money to play some of the games and have some fun while they went and talked with their friends. Once they had their money in paw his brother and sister booked it to the games, leaving Edward alone with the cash he had stuffed irritably away into his tiny pants pocket. He wasn't surprised that they left him to fend for himself. He was the runt, essentially the outcast of their family, so why would they care?

The silver wolf put on a blank face and gloomily stared up and down the pathways of the fair, eyeing the different carnival games and food stands the festival had to offer. Everyone around him at the different booths were having a blast, throwing plastic balls at glass bottles, shooting toy guns at balloons, even throwing darts at balloons. Every game drew in a decent crowd.

Edward grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest. Why would his brother and sister just leave him alone? They already knew how shy (not to mention wary) he was, having lived in the same household for years. The very least they could've done was drag him along for the ride.

And who would he go to for tattling on his siblings, his mother? For starters, if he did that then Gary would surely get some sort of retaliation for it. Coupled with the fact that he didn't want to ruin his mother's good time by whining and complaining, he was at a complete loss. She was there for her own reasons too. It would be pointless to even try.

So, with his ears flattened awkwardly against his head, Edward began to walk alone down the dirt paths with his paws concealed deep within his jean pockets.

He watched more animals carelessly play their games and have their fun as he reached the end of the dirt pathway back towards the road. To his right was a small hay maze made for the smaller children attending the festival as well as one of the many ticket booths scattered around the fair. Above him was the ginormous yellow banner that displayed the name of the festival in contrasting pink and green lettering. To his left was the barn for the farm painted in bright red and white that accommodated one of the main events for the fair: the Carrot Days Talent Show. And based on how many mammals were already inside and the bunny stationed at the now closing doorway, it looked like it was about to begin.

Edward stood there for a moment as the rabbit slowly pulled the door inward. _Maybe seeing everyone perform will be fun,_ he thought.

The wolf brought his hands out of his pockets and ran towards the barn doors, just barely managing to squeeze through into the dark room and pile into the sea of animals that threatened to push him back out. Different scents from all the animals filled his nostrils as he glanced over the bodies around him. He could hardly believe how many were there with him. There had to be at least fifty animals present.

Luckily for him, there was an open spot in front of him that allowed him to slip in with minimal effort, which also allowed him to get a view of the whole stage without much issue. Edward was thankful that being a wolf meant that he was slightly taller than most kids. Though, compared to both his brother and sister, he was relatively short for a wolf his age.

Edward patiently and curiously scanned the crowd around him. Since he and his family were the only wolves living in the Burrows, it became obvious he was the only wolf in the building. Based off the lack of his family's scent, he naturally assumed that the rest of his family was still outdoors soaking up the sun and having a wonderful time.

The rest of the attendees sat and stood around the walls of the barn. Most of them were rabbits from a few of the family farms in the area. A smaller portion of the crowd was made up of sheep, and an even smaller portion of that made up of the few other predators in the room: cougars, weasels, wolves, and, of course, foxes—or rather a single fox, Gideon Grey, who was sitting in the row before the front. He didn't want to give that bully even a second of his thoughts.

Other than the vulpine, he could spot a couple of wolves in the crowd, which brought him a bit of comfort, as well as a few others he knew from his school.

A few rows down and to the right was a white-wooled ewe by the name of Bethany Carter, along with her father sitting to her left. She and Edward spoke together in their history class a couple of times for a class project, even stopping by her home to finish it in time for their presentation. Needless to say, with their combined effort, they aced it. After that they rarely spoke, more than likely due to Edward's own reclusive nature.

Another one of the mammals that was in attendance was a young cougar from his music class, Bobby Catmull, who was standing beside a variety of instruments—a piano, a miniature harp, a drum, and an assortment of other small musical gadgets. Out of the few predators that attended his school, Bobby was by far the most creative. It was like his paws had this magical touch that gave him this unbelievable skill to operate nearly any musical instrument. On top of that, he was one of the most hyperactive, dramatic, most down to earth animals he could ever know…according to other mammals that is. Regretfully, Edward never really got the chance to talk with Bobby enough to become friends.

The more he looked into the crowd, there was one mammal in particular he hoped would be there. Edward carefully scanned every face he could see and mentally brought the specific animal to mind. Bunnies, hares, sheep, cougars, foxes…among all of these species, one he was searching for was missing. His shoulders slowly slumped and a breath slowly exhaled itself from his nostrils. The tiger he'd come to know and had the privilege to call a friend wasn't here with him. Even being within the safety of the huge crowd, there was this lingering feeling of seclusion that made his ears flatten against the back of his head. _Did Charles even say he would be here?_ Edward doubtfully wondered, taking another chance to look over the patrons.

An uncomfortable feeling of hunger rumbled for a solid second as he became distracted at the sight of the assorted carrots and lettuce in a rabbit's paws. He could feel his mouth salivating at the sight of the bright oranges of the carrots and the scrumptious greens in her paws. After this event was over he would go to one of the many food stands, get some carrots, and chow down like any mammal would.

Hopefully Edward could avoid the awkward situation of having other animals direct him to any vendor selling out bugs for food. Even the thought made his stomach churn. _Gross,_ he grimaced.

Was it wrong to dislike one of the only things on this planet a predator could eat to get any source of protein? Edward's father seemed to think so, as did the rest of his family. At least his mother was the only exception. She was able to supply him with all the tofu in the world as a nice supplement.

His stomach growled again at the thought of tofu. Once the fair was over he would have to beg his mother if he could cook some afterward.

For now he would take up his role as an audience member and patiently wait for the start of the show. His eyes peered at the set on the stage, taking in the feel of the scenery that was preset for the opening show. Littered on the stage were several fake pieces of flora and a couple of brown 'vines' that lazily drooped over the worn floorboards of the stage. Coupled with the dark blue jungle background and the small blue rug in the center of the stage, the décor gave the set a very rainforest-like feel.

Before Edward could question why exactly the set was jungle themed, his music teacher, Ms. Tatu, had gracefully stepped to a spot in the center of the stage near the drop-off. She adjusted her purple glasses before clasping her claws back together in front of her.

"Good afternoon everyone," she began. The audience hushed their conversations to tune into the mammal standing before them. "Thank you for coming out to the Carrot Days Festival today and attending the Talent Show. We've got a wide selection of wonderful performances to showcase from students across the Burrows, and we can't wait to present them to you today. We hope you enjoy the show." With a small bow, she scurried towards the backstage area. At the same time, the audience gave their first full applause to welcome the first act onto the stage.

A couple of seconds after the audience went quiet, the lighting above the audience dimmed to cast the whispering crowd in near darkness. Besides the single blue spotlight giving light to the 'pond,' there was barely any light to speak off. The room was shrouded in murky blackness. However, thanks to the wolf's naturally given night vision, he was able to catch Bobby Catmull on the right side of the stage pick up a bulky portable CD player. After doing so, he looked behind the green curtains and gave a nod. An obnoxious click hit his ears before the startling sound of strings filled the room.

In the darkness, a small rabbit slowly took the stage, stopping just in front of the blue rug. As she began to speak in a low dramatic voice, a yellow light gradually gave the stage light. This rabbit was none other than Judy Hopps.

"Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust! Thousands of years ago, these were the forces that ruled our world. A world where prey were scared of predators. And predators had an uncontrollable, biological urge to maim, and maul, and…"

Edward barely had enough time to register the jaguar pouncing onto the set, giving the wolf quite a start when the predator gave a hearty, nervous roar. The jaguar's foam claws repeatedly brushed the edge of Judy's costume. She let out a scream, throwing her paws dramatically at her face and stomach, followed by throwing red ribbon from her side.

"Blood! Blood! Blood!" She yelped before falling down on her back. The bunny threw the remainder of her ribbon and grabbed a ketchup bottle hidden behind one of the decorated cardboard fauna. She started to squirt the thick red condiment all over herself as she choked and groaned, until finally she decided to 'die,' going limp and sticking her tongue out. "And… death."

Edward stared at the two actors in awkward shock. He commended her dedication to the role of…a dead bunny. However, it just didn't really sit well with him. Even the jaguar didn't know how to react. A couple of animals in the crowd had even facepawed, including Bonnie Hopps, Judy's own mother.

Bobby dramatically hit the drums as the play continued.

"Back then, the world was divided in two," she said as she sprung up from the grave, gesturing towards the predator standing beside her. "Vicious predator…" the jaguar growled. "Or meek prey…"

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

"Edward?" Charles asked, looking behind him.

The wolf paid no heed to Charles's words as he kept trudging along. He finally managed to catch up with the tiger, who was waiting at a crosswalk. The spaced out Edward continued to slowly step forward, dropping down from the safety of the sidewalk and onto the crosswalk in front of them. He was completely out of it.

Wide-eyed as he glanced over at the signal, then to the road, Charles spotted a lonely truck barreling down the street. Edward was just crossing.

And the truck driver had the green.

Instantly, Charles felt his heart starting to race as he watched his friend continue his listless stroll, then nearly stop when the truck began to honk its horn. It was getting nearer.

"Ed!" He called out, but to no avail.

Peering over at the vehicle hurtling down the road, Charles started to get incredibly alarmed. When the truck got too close for comfort, his legs naturally began to go into a pounce.

"EDWARD!" The voice behind the wolf roared. "WATCH IT!"

Charles quickly ran over to Edward as the truck got nearer. Just before he got to him, the truck made one last attempt to warn the stray wolf of his presence, only then gaining Edward's much needed attention. Rubber screeched against the pavement as the tiger's heart rate doubled its pace. Edward's cobalt eyes grew wide as he stayed there. It was like he was the deer in the headlights, staring death right in the muzzle.

Before Edward had realized himself, the tiger had successfully pounced and knocked him straight onto the other side of the street. The truck quickly passed them by and continued to drive down the road, not even bothering to stop as it picked its speed back up.

But, perhaps he was a tad preoccupied with the hefty police cruiser that tailed behind. Charles watched as both vehicles sped down the road and out of sight.

That left the two predators, who were still reeling to find their composure.

"You're barkin' mad!" the tiger screamed at Edward, bringing back his stereotypical British accent to not go completely angry.

Charles stared blankly at the sidewalk as the sudden rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins. It felt as if his heart could leap right out of his chest it was beating so fast. He let out a pent-up huff of air as he looked over towards his friend, making sure that he was indeed safe from harm.

At first glance, Edward looked as if he was frozen in time—or rather, with fear—as he sat panting on the cement, still wide-eyed and in shock. For a split second Charles was relieved that the glasses on his head didn't fly right off onto the pavement so that he could see that little detail on his friend.

Charles quickly stood up and brushed the dirt from his overcoat and jeans. He crouched beside the silver wolf. "Are you okay?" he asked calmly.

The wolf nodded hesitantly.

Charles sighed and adjusted his glasses. "You scared the hell out of me Edward. I almost thought that you were a goner for a minute there. If this is how you get all the girls to fall for you, I'd say that you'd be killin' it." Edward paid no mind to the snarky quip and continued to stare off into space. "Hey," the tigers striped paw nudged his friend's shoulder, "You still with me?"

Again, Edward nodded. The tiger frowned, partially upset that his joke fell on deaf ears.

He was starting to doubt if Edward was truthfully alright. This was twice now that Charles caught him in his own little world. Now with this incident, his distance was becoming dangerous. Did Edward really mean what he said when he affirmed he was okay?

When he felt that the wolf was calm enough to bring him back to his feet, Charles helped Edward up completely. Edward thanked Charles for the help and proceeded to then brush away the dirt from his blue button-up flannel. Without another word, the silver-furred predator started again and trudged onward in the direction they were traveling before their interruption.

Charles kept closely to Edward's pace. In addition, he kept both his eyes peeled at their surroundings. It would bring him some peace that at least one of them was paying attention.

The two of them quietly passed a plethora of stores, another four streets behind them. The entire time, Edward remained secluded to his own thoughts and maintained his mute nature.

After awhile, Charles felt the urge to alleviate the awkward silence. He decided to break the ice between them.

"Listen, Ed." Sliver ears flickered as the wolf's head turned in Charles's direction. "I know this might be trivial to ask, but, you know that I'm here for you right? I may not be your mate like Sharla is, but what I can do is assure you that I can be there if you need to talk. I'm only a phone call or a text away—or in this case, right in front of you."

The wolf's ears turned a slight shade of crimson. In a futile attempt to hide his embarrassment, he turned his head away from the tiger and awkwardly rubbed the side of his arm.

Seeing his message have its desired effect, a smile curled smugly and joyfully around the tiger's snout. There was always some joy to be had seeing his friend in that state. It made Edward seem more along the lines of 'adorable,' much to the predator's dismay.

"So, what's on your mind?" Charles pondered.

"W-what?" Edward stammered. He clearly didn't expect Charles's speedy inquiry, and it seemed to only cause further embarrassment.

"You heard me."

"B-but I—"

"Nope, no 'buts.' There's clearly something in that head of yours that's messing with you, and I'm not okay with seeing you all mopey. You let that stuff sit up there and it'll _really_ start to affect you. I won't let you. So what do you say? Psychiatrist Charles W. Clawson is here to help."

The corner of Edward's mouth flashed the smallest ounce of a smile, then he stared off to the other side of the road. Even without a comical foreign inflection to his last comment, Charles was expecting a little bit more than a grin.

_It's going to be all doom and gloom, isn't it,_ Charles thought as he rolled his eyes. At least he thought it was funny.

However, regardless of the wolf's depressing muteness, he couldn't force the problems plaguing his mind out into the light. It was all up to Edward if and how much he was willing to tell him. At least he offered.

Heeding the bright orange cross signal of the following street, both predators came to a stop. They waited patiently for each car to safely pass by the intersection, not bothering to rush over when a decently sized opening presented itself. Better to be safe than sorry.

The light signal turned yellow then red out of the corner of Charles's eye. He lifted his foot and took a step forward.

That's when he heard his friend's quiet voice behind him.

"I hate myself."

The words that hit Charles's ears made his slow pace come to a screeching halt. The cheeky smile he'd proudly adorned had been wiped away, and in its place was a state of utter shock.

He turned to Edward, whose head was shamefully downcast away from the tiger. Despite his face being straight and emotionless, his flat ears were a dead giveaway to how he was actually feeling. Both of his arms were pushed up tight against his scrawny body as his paws remained hidden away inside the safety of his jean pockets.

"Edward—" Charles attempted to tenderly call, but became interrupted when Edward began to speak again.

"Every day I wake up and look in the mirror. And guess what? I _hate_ what I see. All that I can see in the reflection is nothing but a weak, spineless, naïve pup that couldn't even fit in no matter where he went. Other days I just find a complete _monster_ staring back at me. These days I can't even imagine what I'd do if I'd suddenly turned. Where would I go? What would happen to me? What if I _killed_ someone? What if…I hurt Sharla? I would never forgive myself."

As Edward's voice wavered and died out, Charles kneeled down the wolf's level, watching him continue to beat himself up.

"I don't think my family would even care if I turned savage. I've always been a failure to them, and they've never believed in me or my choices anyway. I'm just the runt of the litter to them. Just some sorry sad excuse for a wolf that could never be a part of any pack, not even his own family. I mean, if I'm so scared that I can't even tell the world that I love someone that's not my species _and_ who's the natural prey of that species, what kind of mammal am I? I _am_ just some stupid, pathetic pup."

"Edward," Charles finally got in, "you are one of the kindest, sweetest animals I know. And you aren't stupid or pathetic. You are brave, and you're strong. You've got a beautiful wife—who pretty much adores you I might add—and that cute little apartment that you two call 'home.' And you for sure don't need your mean old man, brother, or sister to bring you down. You know why? Because _you_ made it. You followed where your heart took you and you made something of yourself. And now, after all is said and done, after everything that you've been through, you're still standing tall, kicking life's challenges in the tail."

He put a paw on the wolf's shoulder. Edward's silver body was physically shaking, and on top of that he was trying desperately to hold back his tears. Charles on the other hand held nothing back.

"It doesn't matter what other animals think either. I learned the hard way that you can't please everyone, and it's best to focus on how you want to live rather than how anyone else wants you to. You are your own mammal, and they don't have a say in anything. Plus, it'll put a few more years on your life."

Charles flashed Edward a grin. Tears were beginning to dampen the fur around Edward's eyes as a couple of sniffles sounded from his snout.

"But what about turning into that…thing?" he stammered.

"Don't worry about it because, one, it will never happen," Charles reassured confidently, "and two, you've got me watching your back, Ed. Come on, like I'd let anything happen to you on my watch."

Edward turned his head to him. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely. I promise, Ed, that I will never let anything like that happen to you. And if it does, then I'll be there to protect you."

For a moment, Edward simply stared at the tiger, then looked down towards the ground again, wiping the tears away from his eyes.

"Thank you," he quietly said.

"You're welcome, Ed."

At first glance it seemed like a portion of Edward's sad spell had been peeled away, if the bland looking expression that still occupied his muzzle and the fresh dampness around his eyes told Charles anything.

Even if his speech only made Edward _think_ about being happy or safe, it would still ease some pressure off of him.

Before they had the chance to move anywhere, the low roar of an empty stomach made both predators' ears twitch. Charles grinned smugly at where the noise came from, its owner's ears turning a bright shade of crimson.

"Sounds like you could eat a hundred bug burgers, Ed," Charles smugly grinned.

Edward faked vomiting and his eyes rolled at the tiger. "Ha, ha," he sarcastically uttered before starting ahead through the crosswalk.

As the wolf walked over the white stripes on the pavement, he double-checked the signal just to be sure that they had the right-of-way. The black screen showed the LED outline of a smiling, walking wolf, which nearly mirrored the real thing walking towards it. Charles's mind was at ease.

"What can I say," the striped predator shrugged while he slowly trailed behind. "You're too easy."

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

The black-wooled ewe plucked the iCarrot sitting idle on her work desk—or rather what she and her colleagues called 'the workbench'—and tapped the power button, bringing the device back to life. The time was finally nearing one o'clock in the afternoon, her favorite hour of the day.

Lunch time.

After a normal long day congregating with other scientists and fellow engineers about the integrity of the newest toy in their arsenal, the RAM-12, the lot of them would flock over to the employee cafeteria on the other side of the building. The food selection supplied by MASA wasn't the greatest in terms of quality, and had little to be desired besides the soup and salad bar, but it provided the necessary nutrients to keep herself going for the remainder of the workday…if you could even get to the bar to begin with. The lines that looped around the various bars were quite legendary.

At most it would take any mammal around five minutes just to get a container of _soup._ Slap another ten to that if salad was on the brain, and another seven if they wanted fish, tofu, or a bug burger. Going through those lines would mean a twenty-two minute wait for the ewe, and she couldn't bear the thought.

But today, she had something else planned entirely. Sharla wasn't about to just waltz in the cafeteria and wait in line like some of the other mammals. No, she would be getting in her car, drive back to the city, get a nice meal at the diner down the street, and have the best salad and fried fish money could buy.

How did she manage to pull it off? Well, all she did was attend her early meeting involving the RAM and how it would be used and blah-blah-blah. All she cared about were the results and if it would be used again in another project down the line. _That_ sort of meeting fell into the hoofs of the scientists and the board to figure out. At the moment, they didn't really need her skill or expertise anywhere, and her team knew everything inside and out about the design of the rocket. So, with permission from her boss, she was able to snag the rest of the week to herself.

So what would she do with her newly obtained time?

First off was lunch. Sharla was starving, and all she could think about at that moment was getting her hoofs on something leafy as well as something greasy. The leafy portion of her meal was no issue—a small Caesar salad with the dressing on the side—however the other half of the meal was the tricky choice.

She could go with some fried fish and chips and make the decision to keep her order short and sweet. However, she couldn't help but drool over the thought of having a nice, juicy bug burger. In one fell swoop, she could spite whomever had a quarrel with her choice of food _and_ as an added bonus get a kick out of their stunned/disgusted faces. To make that decision, she would have to be seriously analyzing her crowd. The thought of essentially spitting in bigot's faces made the little rebel inside her mind gleefully and malevolently content.

With her happy mood, Sharla spent the remaining two minutes of her day scrolling through her phone and checking the various social media applications. Apparently the hashtag 'savage' was trending in their city on nearly every platform, not that it surprised her in any way. It was probably going to remain in the top five trends for the next week or two at best until something major happened that would bring the trend back from the dead.

The ewe shrugged it off and powered down her phone, stuffing it away comfortably inside one of her white jean pockets. She stared at the digital clock sitting on her desk and watched the seconds go by, until that glorious hour _1:00_ finally arrived.

Sharla smiled as she unhooked the keys from her back right belt loop and twirled them slowly around her hoof, turning her back towards the workbench and heading enthusiastically towards the exit. She could already envision the meal in front of her. She couldn't wait.

Sharla roamed briskly down the hall and eventually reached a corner. When she rounded it, her eyes instantly honed in on the other mammal, besides herself, roaming the halls. As far as she could tell, they were the only ones that occupied the open hallway. It seemed as if the rabbit was moving at breakneck speed. She half expected the buck to zoom past her. But, fortunately, the mammal managed to lift his head up to catch a glimpse of her and slowed down his speed. That was when she finally noticed who exactly this speedy rabbit was. How could she not notice the nerdiest and most energetic bunny on her own team?

A grin was plastered onto his muzzle as he waved to her.

"Hey Shar!"

"Hey Riley."

"I know it's a little late, but good job at presenting the information from the RAM. You really sold the board with our findings."

"Yeah," she agreed modestly, "Let's hope we get to see its use for actual missions."

"Indeed. So, now what? Aren't you on your way home?" Riley asked as his fingers tapped rhythmically on the back of the tablet he was holding.

"Yep! Looks like Teresa finally decided to show me mercy after, what, five different meetings? They were so boring." She was sure to drag the 'o' on the last two words to emphasize her whine.

"Tell me about it. You're so lucky. But, then again, you worked so hard to make this whole thing possible. You worked an entire week of overtime for this, right? You definitely deserve the time off."

She could detect the hint of jealousy in his tone, and gave him a grin. "Don't worry, hopefully you'll all be able to take a little vacation time after this whole thing passes…" she chuckled, "…and brought back in for _another_ round of this."

"Don't remind me." His eyes rolled and he let out a huff. "Well, I don't want to hold you up…"

"Oh it's fine! Please, don't worry about it." She waved at him as she started back towards the exit. "Hope you and the team don't die of boredom by the time I get back!"

"I hope so too. See you later, Shar."

"See you Riley. And don't forget to eat this time, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah."

The rabbit quickly scurried down the hall and around the corner. Sharla silently laughed to herself. Her topic must've scared him enough to make him take off like he did.

Or he was needed elsewhere as soon as possible.

She shrugged it off and continued down the long hallway, twirling the set of keys once again around her hoof.

Seeing Riley's spunk and glee during the mind-numbingly dull work week was always a sight to see. Plus it managed to brighten her mood, whether it was by a little bit or a substantial amount. He was undoubtedly the team's poster-boy, as well as the brightest amongst the lot of them. Although she was the team's leader and the one they looked up to the most, Riley could quite easily take her place, and if she were being honest, she wouldn't mind him taking her position at all. Being a leader wasn't really her style.

Now that she thought about it, Riley did manage to help remind her of something that she meant to do earlier.

She wasn't kidding around with Edward when she said she would skip work to do a meet-up. Only now could she do it without the chance of being fired—thanks to her boss—and now she couldn't wait to finally see _her_ again.

She could picture herself and the doe as if they were their younger selves again. Sharla in her favorite pink and white striped shirt and purple shorts, and her in that makeshift navy blue police costume, only now that costume would be an actual uniform, the real deal. The first rabbit officer of Zootopia. What a title to hold.

That settled it. It was about time that she finally reconnected with her old childhood friend again. It had been far too long.

 

_**o  o  o** _

 

Walking through the streets of Zootopia was a lot more manageable on a full stomach rather than relying on what seemed like endless streams of caffeine. By Edward's count, his grand total was four cups of coffee—one in the morning before he left for work, one at work before his meeting with his boss, one after Charles chased him down, and one while waiting in the lobby of Zootopia General—and then that medium sized soda back at Bug-Burga' just around an hour prior.

It was time to put his foot down. The next thing he would drink would be a nice, refreshing bottle of water. No more coffee and soda for the rest of the day.

Currently, both Edward and Charles were empty pawed, and they were nearing the crowded mess that was Savannah Central. Up ahead of them between the buildings they had a view of the Watering Hole in the middle of the park. Behind that was the colossal structure that stood prominently amongst the major buildings in the square, a building that was both loathed and revered: The Zootopia Police Department, Precinct One.

Nowadays, the ZPD was more loathed than revered, for obvious reasons that didn't need rehashing. Edward would be lying if he said he wasn't amongst the loathing.

So he felt that he was justified when he turned to Charles and asked him with a scowl, "So, we're going to the ZPD, aren't we?"

"Yes." Charles nodded. "For the third time."

Edward frowned. No use trying to fight it at this point. One would think Charles would get tired of answering him, and he felt sorry for even asking. So instead, he decided to prod around something he'd been meaning to ask since their exit from the hospital.

"Who was that on the phone back at the hospital, if you don't mind me asking? I don't think I've ever heard anything about anyone named 'Tommy' before."

All the wolf got was a snarky smile. "Patience, Edward. All will be revealed in due time."

"What's that supposed to mean," Edward retorted, unsatisfied with Charles's mock wisdom.

"You'll see."

His silver arms folded over his chest. _You'll see,_ Edward grumbled in his thoughts. All he wanted to know was who this Tommy was. Was he some cousin of Charles's that he failed to ever mention? Or was he some old friend? He couldn't be that bad if he worked at the ZPD…supposedly.

This mammal could very well be a convict for all he knew. Before his friend went off the deep end a year prior, he wasn't exactly a saint with the crowds he put himself in.

Edward looked to the cloudless sapphire sky above. _Maybe I'm overthinking it,_ he thought to himself. His eyes caught a plane flying overhead, leaving a long cloudy trail behind it. It was stunningly peaceful. On the ground, however, one would hardly find anything remotely close to peaceful. Groups of mammals had formed around in the park. Some had stacks of flyers in their arms, and some were shouting over megaphones. Many papers lay ownerless and unwanted on the ground, some either crumpled up and some just left to be trampled on.

On the front of those fliers was a logo of a claw with a red 'X' on it, some anti-predator propaganda if Edward had to hazard a guess.

In the distance, a couple of pigs grimaced and shot the two of them a dirty look. Charles kept his gaze forward towards their destination, ignoring any and all mammals around him while keeping a genuine smile across his muzzle. Edward went ahead and mimicked what Charles did to avoid the piercing stares of the other mammals.

With that mindset, they managed to make their way over to the long steps of the ZPD in no time, and they reached the top with a heavy huff—which seemed only to be true for Edward. He vexed at his friend's natural athleticism while he held the door like a gentle-mammal for him.

What he stepped into was the bustling flow of both officers and convicts. Mammals decked in blue led mammals towards booking over to the right of where Edward was, and some stood in groups and conversed amongst themselves.

As always, the ZPD had this feeling of being exactly like a well-oiled machine. It all seemed so…demanding, especially during these insane times. Edward couldn't even imagine how much work these animals had to put in on an average day. He was almost glad that he had his journalism job…for the moment anyways.

"Come on, Ed!" Charles grinned, nudging his shoulder. "Don't you want to find out who Tommy is?"

Edward shot a look in the tiger's direction, inciting him to flash a devilish smile back at him.

They walked over to the left side of the lobby and stopped just before the steps of the wooden podium the ZPD used for official conferences. The wolf recognized it from the many playbacks of the most recent one he saw on the news featuring a familiar grey doe.

Charles dug out his phone from his jean pockets and put it up to his ear. He began the conversation with a smile. "Hey! Where are you at?" Edward could almost catch whatever garbled up noise was coming through the speaker, but not well enough to make out any comprehensible words. Before he had the chance to turn away, the tiger had already glanced over at him with a grin. He was caught. Eager to rub it in the wolf's face, Charles stuck his tongue out at Edward before turning his head away.

The smaller predator growled and crossed his arms, only then finally respecting the secrecy of the tiger's personal life.

Once the phone was brought back down from his ear and into his pocket, Charles predictably quipped and reveled. "Aren't we nosy today?"

"Shut up."

And with that, there was silence between them again. Edward took the time after that to glance at the various pictures of the officers along the wall. They all looked so proud to be where they were. That brought a small smile to Edward's muzzle.

A couple minutes of mindless waiting later, Charles walked forward from the steps of the podium and toward an officer ambling towards them. The tiger in front of the duo was decked in a navy blue police uniform that prominently displayed a shining metal badge on his chest. Above his smile was a set of stunning brown eyes and black eyeshadow that instantly drew the wolf's gaze.

Before Edward could get too enthralled with the beauty of the striped mammal, both tigers shared a quick hug as a set of papers went behind Charles's overcoat. The two detached from each other and turned to the wolf.

"Ed," Charles began, "this is Thomas Fangmeyer, my boyfriend."

The officer walked up to him and offered a paw, the wolf returning the gesture as they shook.

"Nice to meet you."

Edward stared at the new acquaintance with confusion. He couldn't quite put his paw on it, but he knew this tiger from _somewhere._ He went ahead and threw him the question.

"I'm sorry, I think I've seen you before. I mean, not as an officer…I would never do anything bad enough to ever need to come here—"

"Don't worry, it's alright," Thomas chuckled, halting the awkwardness dead in its tracks. "You've probably seen me at one of Gazelle's concerts." He brought his muzzle close to him and cupped his mouth away from the open lobby, bringing his voice to a near whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm one of the backup dancers for Gazelle."

"That explains it," the wolf said honestly. He and his wife—his wife mainly—frequented Gazelle's concerts when the tickets were available, but that was only when they were able to spare the time from their busy schedules.

"Charles speaks a lot about you, you know."

Edward raised a brow and grinned in his friend's direction. "He has?"

"Don't worry, I keep him in check," the officer grinned. "He's mentioned that you and he have history together, and that now you're happily married to some very lucky ewe."

A part of Edward's snout twitched as his smile turned into a scowl at the mention of the ewe, _his_ ewe. Thomas quickly stepped in to rectify his statement.

"Don't worry, he's made it abundantly clear to me that you want to keep this on the down low. Just had to make sure that you wouldn't come around stealin' my Charlie from me."

"Well, I can assure you that I won't."

"Great. Well, anyways, I managed to make two copies of the official police report for the missing mammal case."

Edward was the first to ask as he was handed a packet and a red pen, "Are you sure we're allowed to look at these?"

"Of course! I mean, I had to tell the chief that I knew a couple of editors that could help out with proof-reading it, plus I sweetened the deal with a ticket to one of Gazelle's upcoming concerts, but you should be all good to take a look. It's supposed to go public right after final edits are put in. So, read away. Just make sure that you mark it up for added measure. I wouldn't want to be stuck with parking duty before dance practice tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Tom," Charles said, "We'll have it done within the hour."

"Good. Hey," he spoke to the two of them, "I have to talk with my partner about something else we're working on, so just shoot me a text when you two finish up and I'll collect your edits for the final report."

"Will do." The other tiger grinned and gave a mock salute.

The officer rolled his eyes and turned to Edward. "Keep this guy in check would you?"

Charles's mouth opened and dramatically portrayed his mock offense. Edward smirked and ignored the gesture.

"Don't worry Tom, I'll keep him in line."

"Someone has to."

The two said their goodbyes and parted ways with the officer, taking a seat down on the steps leading up to the podium and placing the papers on the stage to be used as a functional writing surface. As he pushed the ball of the pen up with an obnoxious click, Edward began carefully reading the report along with Charles.

As he read through the first couple of paragraphs, Edward noticed beyond the occasional typo that it was written entirely in first person. Looking up at the line for the name, he learned that the report was written entirely by the one and only Judith L. Hopps. For a moment, he stared blankly at the name, but inevitably gave up on whatever his brain was trying to tell him.

He read through the beginning of the investigation at her encounter with a certain fox, Nicholas Wilde, and how he agreed to help out with the case. However, it didn't exactly go into detail on what she did to get his help in the first place. Unsure how to mark this error—if it was one to begin with—he highlighted a portion of it and made a footnote asking 'explain?' in neat cursive.

Before flipping the page, Edward saw some darker grey wet marks in the middle of the photocopied document. _She must've spilt some coffee on her report or something,_ he thought. Eventually he shrugged it off, thinking nothing of it.

The next part of her report spoke in detail about how the two of them visited the Mystic Springs Naturalist Club and how a yak by the name of Yax told them information about Emmitt Otterton and the vehicle that picked him up after his last visit. With that crucial piece of information, they made it necessary to travel to the local Department of Mammal Vehicles and acquire the vehicle information that stemmed from that license plate. Based off the times she listed for when they entered the DMV to their time of departure, it took them around five hours to get through the whole process.

Edward didn't want to imagine the painful amounts of waiting they had to endure. He'd normally have to take a day off from work to get anything done normally.

Their next stop brought them to Tundratown Limo Service. They managed to find the vehicle in question, and went ahead and searched it for any evidence. While searching, they found a few items, including polar bear fur and Emmitt Otterton's wallet. However, they additionally found that the back of the limousine had been thoroughly torn apart.

Edward looked at the next part of her report and tilted his head in confusion. The next line read that the evidence led them to a shrew named Mr. Big, owner of the business. If whom she was referencing was who Edward thought she was, this brought a whole new level of questions to the table. He read on anyway, marking away at the various typos on the paper.

The shrew told the two that the mammal they were searching for attacked the driver of the vehicle, and he advised them that they should visit the jaguar, named Renato Manchas, who hailed from the Rainforest District. While reading through, Edward noticed something in the report that managed to catch his eye.

He read the paragraph carefully.

_"When we arrived at Renato Manchas's residence at 8:43 PM on the intersection of Vine and Tajunga, he appeared to have been slashed by what looked to be claw marks on his right eye. When we inquired about what had happened to him, he told us that Emmitt was a 'savage,' and that he was the one that attacked him. He told us that Emmitt had mentioned something about '_ Nighthowlers' _before scurrying off into the forest…"_

His eyes hung on the word "Nighthowlers," almost unable to look away. For some reason, it held some sort of familiarity. Although he wasn't certain, he was certain that he'd seen this word somewhere before back when he still lived on the farm.

Edward folded the page the word was on and continued to read through the report.

She wrote about how Manchas suddenly started convulsing and crying out inside of his home, and how he started to attack at them. Eventually, the two managed to escape from the jaguar and call for backup. Unfortunately, the jaguar had vanished without a trace.

The next section brought the familiar word forward once again.

_"After gaining access to the traffic cameras with the help of Dawn Bellwether, we noticed that Renato Manchas was captured by a pair of wolves driving a black van. We determined that these wolves, and the group that they were a part of, were operating under the codename: 'Nighthowlers…'"_

Edward shook his head. Something in his gut was telling him that this entire situation didn't feel right.

Although he didn't want to think about it, or _him_ specifically, his older brother Gary was actually a part of this group of wolves who were guarding Cliffside Asylum during this entire ordeal. He even missed their mother's funeral because of the ZPD's need to acquire the information on why he was there in the first place. Their organization was professionally called 'The Lost Pack,' a 'protection agency' (private security group—or rather a mercenary group as far as he was concerned) that could be hired to protect anyone, given the right price.

Not once since he was hired into that group did his brother mention anything about "Nighthowlers." But, in actuality, Edward shouldn't have expected Gary to tell him anything about his line of work or the jobs he took, mainly because of the large amount of non-disclosure agreements that he no doubt had to sign.

So why were they codenamed _Nighthowlers?_ It seemed far-fetched that they'd choose the name from them being wolves that operated at night. It seemed silly, and quite ludicrous.

"Wow," Charles finally piped up, pulling the wolf's attention away from the paper lying on the steps. "This whole thing with Manchas, it's like a whole game of cat and mouse. Remember that sitcom Tom and Jerry?"

Edward, partly listening, nodded in affirmation. His friend continued to talk mindlessly about the television show while he marked up his copy of the report, leaving Edward to ponder the reasoning behind the name. He could've cared less about some silly sitcom, as heartless as it sounded. He didn't really enjoy the show as much as some of the other cartoons he loved: _Courage, The Cowardly Wolf_ , _Batmam,_ and even _The Powerpuff-Buns_.

The irritation stewing inside his thoughts nearly forced a growl out of him. _Nighthowlers…_ For some strange reason he felt that the word was somehow familiar. It was almost as if he should've known exactly what that word represented and what it meant as a whole.

But where would he have heard it from to begin with? As much as it seemed so eerily familiar, he had to have picked it up from somewhere before.

Edward sat and stared off into space, digging through the vast reaches of his memory banks to pull any and all information that could help him remember.

"…!"

Eureka.

If he was remembering correctly, there was a chance that he may have heard it before while he was still living on his family's farm. It was some sort of story that he was told more as a warning to help keep him safe.

However, the details were still scrambled. Edward still had no idea what the word meant or even how he managed to know it in the first place.

_Biscuits,_ he thought.

Another realization hit.

Now the urge to growl formed an irritated scowl on his snout, and for good reason. He looked down at the twelve letter word.

If he wanted to obtain the information he sought, there would be one obstacle he would have tackle: traveling back to the place where all the grief and misery in his heart stemmed, and the one place he detested with his very being.

The vile memories that that place held, it was laughable to even think about returning there. Under normal circumstances he'd find a way around it with a well-planned alibi. Unfortunately, this case was anything but normal. To get what he needed, he would have to talk to the one mammal on this Earth that he absolutely detested, the one that disowned and shunned him from the pack because of the way he lived and the way he loved, the one mammal he'd shut out all those years ago because of the hate that was in his heart.

This mammal was Alabaster Snow, Edward's father.


	6. A Moment Is All It Takes

“Oh come on! Captain Mammalia’s on!”

Edward looked up from the safety of his book to find that the channel Gary had only just started watching had been uncaringly switched. The culprit? It was none other than their sister, Lavender. She had sat herself directly in front of the small television with her legs crossed and watched the catchy opening sequence while their brother struggled to steal the remote back from her.

“So is Kim Pawsible,” she retorted while swatting Gary’s paw away. She continued watching the animated wolf on the screen.

“But, I’m gonna miss what happens when he battles Red Skull!” he pleaded.

“That sucks. I told you I was gonna watch my show.”

“Come on, I was here first!”

“So? I missed two episodes in a row because ‘you were here first.’ I had to get filled in on what happened from my friends. Plus, it’s the season finale, so shut it. I am watching _my_ show.”

While they continued to argue Edward gripped the book in his paws and pulled it close enough to his muzzle that his eyes were starting to strain reading the now enlarged text. More importantly, he was trying desperately to drown out the bickering between his siblings. If he could rephrase that, it would be drowning out the endless waves of bickering that ensued between those two.

The last thing he wanted to do was get in the middle of their pointless and endless cycle of fighting. To put it lightly, he was sick and tired of it.

When they woke up in the morning, there would be fighting. Whether it be over who would get the shower first, who would brush their teeth first, or even sitting in the chair next to their father, there would be some form of fight.

Even on their way to school there would be some sort of argument that would make either of their parents have to turn around and break it up.

And when they got home, they made it clear to their father, their mother, and more importantly Edward—who had already witnessed some form of it on the bus ride back from their middle school—that they were about to cause one massive storm. And regardless if he wanted to participate, Edward would most certainly be dragged into the fray. Whether he was sitting in his own bedroom, whether he was forced to sit in between his brother and sister on the bus or in the car, or even right now in the living room of their home after specifically being told that he was forbidden to go into his room until bedtime, just so he could socialize with his siblings.

Obviously, he had no intention of talking with either one of them, let alone worry about what was playing on the TV. He was too enthralled with the story he was reading to care about some silly television show.

The book was about this fifteen-year-old cougar who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains of the Spine. However, a couple months later he soon realizes that the stone he found wasn’t any ordinary stone; it was a dragon egg. With the dragon now grown, his uncle slain, and his home burned to the ground, he fled to the skies, accompanied both by his newly acquired dragon and an old storyteller. Considering there were around six _hundred_ pages to read and he was only a sixth of the way into it, something told him that this cougar’s story was only just beginning.

Just as Edward began the next chapter of his book, something felt missing in the air around him. He looked up from his text and scanned his surroundings.

Right away he noticed the silence over the sound of the TV. It seemed that the bickering between his brother and sister had come to an abrupt end, leaving his brother irritable on the other end of the sofa; not that Edward was complaining. He was happy that everything was calm again.

But, that happiness lasted for only a couple of seconds, just as he got comfortable in his little corner of the world, the moment he felt safe.

A snow-white paw pulled the book down from his short line of sight. Instinctively, Edward’s head pulled away from his brother, who had complacently leaned closer to him. He knew what this was. He knew exactly what this was. This was a straight-up invasion of his coveted personal space. And after thirteen years living together, Gary knew exactly how to push his buttons. A smug expression was plastered all over his face as he backed Edward further into the arm of the sofa.

“What do you want, Gary?” Edward asked quietly, masking his mild annoyance with a straight face.

For a moment, Gary stared awkwardly into his eyes, and Edward couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. His ears fell behind his head. He couldn’t move an inch.

While he was still trapped in that anxious state, his brother swiped the book from Edward’s paws. The silver wolf pitifully tried to stop this, but to no avail.

Gary stared at the sapphire dragon on the front cover. Edward watched him diligently. If he were being completely honest, he didn’t trust him in the slightest. He kept poor care of the things he did own, and it didn’t feel right that the book he’d bought with his own chore money was put in the crosshairs. It felt dreadful. And what was worse was that he couldn’t do anything to stop him.

“Why would you want to read?” He sadistically grinned.

“C-cause…it’s fun?”

“Pft, geek.”

His brother opened up the paperback and began thumbing through the various pages inside. Edward watched with apprehension.

The thought of him easily ruining the book Edward had his eyes on for a whole month and a half could very well turn into a reality. Edward knew better than anyone the way his brother treated the things he owned, especially the ones he stole from him and their sister.

He wanted his book back. Plain and simple. He couldn’t bear the thought of his newly acquired piece of literature getting damaged in some silly “accident.”

So, when he reached out towards his brother, Edward calmly and quietly uttered, “May I please have my book back, Gary?”

To that, Gary simply grinned. “What’s the rush? I’m only looking at it.”

“I just…want to keep reading _my_ book, Gary,” the silver wolf said in a firmer tone, his paw still extended.

His older brother put on an even smugger expression. Edward didn’t like where this was heading.

“What, are you afraid I’m gonna _ruin_ it? It probably is something stupid anyways. Something nerdy.”

“Just give him the book and shut up,” Lavender chimed in from her spot in front of the television.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you,” Gary yelled sarcastically. “Did you say get louder? Fine, I’ll get louder for you. How’s this!”

“Shut up!”

“How about you!” he barked back, pointing at her with half the book gripped in his paw, the other half flopping about haphazardly back and forth.

“Can I just have my book back?” Edward sheepishly requested from his corner of the world.

At the end of his sentence, his brother shot him one of the deadliest glares he could muster. This stark expression caused Edward’s already extended paw to be brought back protectively to his chest. It was almost as if the snow-white wolf were a hot burner in the kitchen and Edward was just fur strands away from burning himself. Now that he thought about it, he actually did feel warmer by only looking at him; even the nerves at the bridge of his snout began to flare. His troublesome anxiety was making an untimely return.

_Not now…_ he woefully thought.

He now fully regretted obeying his father’s decision to have him stay with his siblings instead of holing up inside his bedroom like a normal wolf. The torment wasn't worth the time.

Gary started to slowly make an advance towards Edward and dangled the piece of literature just above the points of his ears. _If_ they managed to actually retain their normal point, that is.

His brother felt just a little too close for comfort. So, for the sake of his personal space, Edward placed his foot against his chest to at the very least try and hold him back.

“What’s the magic word?” Gary asked in a sing-song tone.

“…?”

_Magic word?_ Edward questioned silently for a few precious seconds. He almost didn’t reply. _It couldn’t be that word could it? Nothing_ this _mundane…_

So, albeit hesitantly, he spoke.

“Can I _please_ have my book back, Gary?”

For a moment the older wolf stared Edward down, and Edward questioned if he’d followed his brother’s instructions. He was nearly sure that _please_ was the word he was looking for. It was that little shred of doubt that kept making him second guess himself. What if he was wrong?

However, with a satisfied snicker, his brother dropped the book—which Edward failed to grab on its way down—back onto his lap. It seemed that what he did…worked?

Gary eventually shuffled his way over to the other side of the couch and looked to the television show playing on the TV. That left the runt sitting on the other side of what could’ve been the world to assess the possible damage. It felt assuring to know that his brother’s attention was focused on the TV so that he could be left in peace. It was exactly what he needed.

Edward flipped and thumbed through his paperback book, looking at all the places that might’ve been affected by the roughhousing. Almost right away he could notice some of the damages in the pages and cover. Trailing along the spine was a crease directly where his brother grabbed and shook the book by the clump of pages, looking like he’d almost ripped it clean in half. Luckily for Edward, despite the crease along the spine, none of the damage was significant enough to warrant taking it to their mother.

At first, Edward couldn’t help but feel relieved. He had his book back safe and sound, and there were no nicks or dents in the cover or on the pages.

He looked upon his brother while he watched the television show playing on the screen. He couldn’t help but wonder, why? Did he really have nothing better to do with his time? If it came down to the fact that Gary was simply bored he could have just hopped onto the family computer to play the video games they had instead of instigating pointless arguments and fights. And even though their selection of titles left much to be desired, there were still some great titles to play.

Even if the video games weren’t on his mind there was also the rickety goal post against the side of the house. He could’ve just kicked a soccer ball through it for a couple of hours to burn off all of the excess energy gained throughout the boring schooldays. So the last thing he could do would be to pick fights with his family.

He didn’t do it to their mother or father. He didn’t do it to Lavender _nearly_ as bad as he did to him. Why him? Was it because he was the runt of the litter? Maybe it was because he was an easy target? Or perhaps was it because their father didn’t really think of him as one of the pack? Was it all of the above?

Regardless of the specific reason (or reasons) for his brother’s actions, Edward found himself without a proper answer. Of course, this resolution did not sit well with him. All he wanted was a clear-cut answer to know for himself, but the likelihood of ever obtaining such an answer to a single question felt slim to none. Gary was a difficult mammal to reason with already, and trying to talk with him was doubly as difficult. So keeping these thoughts in his head would definitely do him some good.

However, there was one problem.

Instead of keeping the questions to himself like the good pup he was—like he normally would—he went ahead and did the unthinkable. The unimaginable.

His tiny little voice spoke up quietly, but enough to be clearly heard over the show in a soft mumble.

“Why do you have to be so mean?”

His cobalt eyes grew wide. That did it. With that little sentence, Edward sealed his fate. He watched as Gary’s head slowly turned in his direction, and Lavender’s purple colored eyes stared back at him in a clear state of shock. If Lavender was worried, then he surely was in trouble now.

Then came the snow-white wolf’s response. Edward’s head tilted.

“Excuse me?”

“N-never mind Gary,” Edward attempted to say. “I didn’t…don’t—”

His brother stood up off the couch, his angry mug pointed directly at Edwards’s muzzle. “No. Please, repeat that for me. If you don’t have the guts to say it to my face then don’t say it at all.”

Once again he was backed into a corner. There was no escape. Gary got closer.

“Come on, say it again, runt!” And closer. “Say it again!” Another pause. He pushed the younger wolf deeper into the couch.

“Come on Gair,” Lavender tried to help, but he simply ignored it. There was no stopping him.

“SAY IT.”

Without a second thought, Edward finally decided to give him what he asked for.

“Why are you so mean to me all the time!?”

The sudden outburst grabbed the attention of both brother and sister as they stared stunned at their younger brother. He jumped off the couch and came up close, staring down the older wolf with tearful confidence. They were practically snout to snout. Eventually he found the strength to continue on, tears beginning to well up in his eyes as the first words came to light.

“Everything I do, everything I say, isn’t good enough for anybody! No one cares about me, no one even acknowledges me anymore, a-and even if they did it’d only be for stupid farm stuff or if they needed their laundry done or something! Dad _hates_ me, you guys belittle me on a regular basis, and I can’t dare to speak my mind or else I get made fun of or shunned. The only ones who get me are mom, Charlie, and his friends, and even with their help I _still_ get made fun of. What did I _ever_ do to you to make you hate me so much?”

For a moment, time seemed to come to a screeching halt. The three of them stood there and stared at each other. With the clear exception of the television that was still blaring the latest Kim Pawsible episode, the only thing hitting their ears was the sound of Edward’s muffled crying while he tried desperately to wipe away the weakness from his teary eyes.

Gary stood there and looked upon the scene with a blank stare, his paws obviously clenched into tight balls. Edward was honestly afraid of the literal can of worms that he’d ripped open, and he honestly didn’t want to know what sort of thoughts were coursing through his brother’s brain.

While they stood there in silence, it was only then that he finally noticed that he was shaking uncontrollably.

Everything felt cold. The strength Edward had just seconds ago had vanished without a trace. Various emotions were driving his anxiety: sadness, anger, and the most obvious, his blatant fear. He almost regretted even bringing up his problems in first place. But, it wasn’t enough to stop him. It was about time he knew why he was treated so badly.

And even if he couldn’t get a satisfying answer—if any at all—he could have solace in the fact that out of the three of them, their sister looked like she might’ve actually cared.

How did he know? He couldn’t quite put his paw on it, but he was sure that it had something to do with the way she looked at him. It was as if she had donned their mother’s gentle, caring eyes for a quick moment, even if hers were a dim shade of amethyst instead of that familiar sky blue hue of their mother’s eyes. It was calming to see.

However, that happiness and peace suddenly came to an end when Gary began staring him down. Suddenly, Edward felt even smaller compared to his older brother (who was already a couple inches taller than him anyways).

“You know why we can’t stand you?” he aggressively started.

“Gary—” Lavender tried to interrupt as her paw lightly brushed their brother’s upper arm, but was stopped abruptly as he forcefully shook it away. While he began talking again, the young she-wolf quickly sped out towards the kitchen and towards where their parents were talking things about the farm. Edward wished that she didn’t leave. He didn’t know if he could face their brother’s anger alone.

The taller snow-white wolf stared into Edward’s cobalt eyes as he continued to deliver his answer. “It’s because you’re _weak._ You prance around here and work in the house all day like some…girl, and completely shut out the fact that we live on a farm and that we have a job to do to maintain it! I bust my butt every day to help out dad and Lavender with farm work, and we come back to the house absolutely tired while you’re in here slacking off.”

The younger wolf stared at his elder brother dumbfounded. If anyone were “slacking off” anywhere in the house, surely he didn’t mean Edward, the one who cleaned after the five of them, the one who helped with the laundry and cooking, the one who helped make sure that everyone had what they needed for each and every day for school and work. Surely not. Because without his help, their mother would be stuck doing all of the housework by herself.

“And you know what’s worse?” he continued, “It’s the fact that you think it’s okay. We’re busting our butts outside tending to the crops that keep the money coming in, and all you want to do is stay inside. But, that’s not even the half of it. What’s worse than that is that you keep on defying dad. You keep on throwing away what makes us who we are: _wolves._ I mean, look at you. You’re so skinny you look like a toothpick, you don’t care about pack mentality, you’ve got absolutely no bark or bite, and you can’t even _howl_.”

The added emphasis on the word made Edward’s ears flicker. Even his nostrils began to flare as his paws tensed up, his free paw balling into a fist while the other clenched the book still in his paw tightly. He could come to terms with the fact that he didn’t like working on the farm. He could also come to terms with the fact that their father didn’t like him much.

But the fact that he couldn’t howl was something that he couldn’t stand, and his family knew that. Gary knew that. Ever since he was a little pup they all knew. Even when their mother had tried to remedy the issue through the help of several doctors, therapists, and psychologists, they knew, especially when they all came to the same conclusion that there was nothing more they could do. Being specialists in their respective fields, with all the tools in their arsenal, their judgement was deemed final. His case was one in a million in their terms.

So, of all the things he could’ve picked out of the seemingly many things that could’ve irked him, Gary had to go for the low blow, the one thing that he knew Edward would get agitated over.

“You can’t howl,” he repeated. “I mean, come on, Ed! Every wolf on the planet can howl, even the runts. If you can’t even pull off a howl, how can you even be considered a wolf in the first place—”

“Shut up.”

“What,” he questioned in mock defense. “I’m just telling it like it is. I haven’t heard you howl once. Not a single time. Even the doctors couldn’t help you. What a shame. Looks like you really aren’t a w—”

Gary’s eyes grew wide as his younger brother took a step forward with his paws up. With a hard shove Edward’s silver and white colored paws pushed him backward towards the television, Gary’s rear hitting the floor with a hard thud and an audible whine. And in the midst of that, there was another noise that reached Edward’s finely tuned ears. A crack.

_Biscuits,_ was the only thought that managed to run through his mind.

He had no chance to question what exactly the noise was or where it came from, and now there was the aftermath of his actions to deal with. His older brother had hurriedly gotten up from the floor and rushed over to him, roughly grabbing him by the nape of his t-shirt.

“Who do you think you are!?” Gary barked. “You know what you are? You’re an ant. An insignificant, gross little insect crawling around like he owns the place. Then you have the nerve to crawl up in here and take a bite out of me? Let’s get one thing straight, ant: you are _nothing_. You don't matter to _anyone._ ” He then snatched the book still clutched in Edward’s paw and started waving it around in the air again. “You are some nobody stuck in your own little world. And you know what? I think you should _get a GRIP!_ ”

Gary forcefully threw the book off to the side of him, Edward reaching out to grab it, but again failing to catch it in time. The book sailed like a bullet across the room. Eventually, it collided against the wall in a space near the top of their family’s bookshelf, the pages voicing their dissatisfaction until the impact.

Now, normally this wouldn’t be quite an issue. If it weren’t for one minute detail that even made Gary sound a curse under his breath, they would've been fine.

This detail was none other than their great-grandfather’s ceramic plate, which was elegantly presented with its own special stand to showcase an old family photo that was clearly printed onto the center. Notably present in the picture was a younger version of their father and their six other uncles and aunts who they’d come to know back in their home city of Howlbrook. It was the only one of its kind, and looked absolutely beautiful.

So when they watched helplessly as the book hit the empty wall above and then fall and collide with that special plate, knocking it down from its stand and off the bookshelf, and finally making contact with a sharp crash on the wooden floor, Edward wished he had been able to grab it in time.

And right on cue came the rest of the family around the corner, their father leading the charge as he, their mother, and their sister looked upon the scene. Alabaster first looked at his two sons, then down at the shattered ceramic as he crouched down next to it. Edward and Gary stepped away from each other and guiltily waited for their father, who was scanning a large piece of the plate. You could almost see the utter despair and anger in his eyes. You could almost _sense_ it.

As soon as Edward realized this, the eldest wolf lightly growled and dropped the piece of the plate he was holding. Alabaster turned to his two boys and saw his anger, his rage in its fullest form.

The two pups held their breath. Their father opened his maw…

…Only for him to be stopped by their mother who had gently placed a paw on his shoulder. Both husband and wife locked their gazes, one as soft and gentle as a cloud and one as fierce as a violent storm. But as seconds passed, the storm eventually faded, leaving their mother to assess the damage and their father again looking at the broken remains of his family heirloom.

When she finally spoke, she adorned a calm, clear, policing tone. “You two go to your rooms for the rest of the night. We will talk about your punishment in the morning.”

The eldest of the kin looked at his younger brother with a perplexed look on his face. With his own melancholy expression, Edward pondered why Gary was so shocked. Was he stunned that it wasn’t their father who was dishing out punishments for the two of them? Or was it the fact that he wasn’t even speaking in the first place?

Regardless, Edward brushed it off. He and his brother—who was trailing behind him—walked slowly past Lavender, their father, and their mother and trudged on up the staircase, leaving his book sprawled out on the floor with the shattered ceramic next to the bookcase. When the time was right he would collect it and let this moment casually slip into the banks of his memory, eventually to be forgotten.

For now he’d let their father look over the damage and grieve the loss of his coveted heirloom. And in the meantime, he would have to think of a way to somehow apologize for the two of them. He only hoped that their punishment wasn’t going to be too severe.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

The morning afterward, despite the obnoxiousness of his alarm clock, Edward awoke to blissful peace and quiet. No fighting, no shouting, not even the slightest bicker from either one of his siblings, something that was extremely hard to find nowadays. He could actually hear the birds chirping in the tree outside his window.

He would try to relish this small moment as best as he could, because the likelihood of it happening again were slim to none, and also because of the fact that once he left the safety and sanctity of his bedroom he would have to face whatever punishment his father had in store for him. Needless to say, he was eager on taking his time this morning. There was no rush.

He stared aimlessly at the ceiling of his room and let time pass him by. Past his room and a ways down the short hallway he could hear the tuneful humming of his sister’s voice along with the sound of the whirring shower faucet in the background, which provided a calming white noise that nearly lulled him back to sleep.

But, before his eyes had the chance to fully close back up, he rose from his sprawled position and scooched over to the edge of his bed. A warm yawn filled his lungs. He wanted so badly to crawl back under the bedsheets and sleep for just a little while longer. But, in the end, he pushed the procrastination building up in his mind aside. The last thing he wanted was to face any more punishment deeper than he was already in.

He slowly got up on his feet and strolled over towards his dresser, not even bothering to open the blinds or flick the switch on the wall to allow more light into the room. He quickly plucked out a pair of black cargo shorts and a maroon t-shirt from the top two drawers and put them both on. Once that was done, he took a few small steps to the left to get in front of the rectangular oak framed mirror sitting next to the dresser.

In the reflection, he saw the outfit in its entirety. It seemed to match correctly, against itself and his fur. He twisted and turned to double-check, eventually coming to an adequate resolution, and then stared closely at the state of his bedfur. Fortunately, his fur didn't seem to look too messy, only requiring a simple brush up and nothing more.

Once he was satisfied enough with his look to feel comfortable and confident with himself, he was ready to tackle the day.

He slowly strolled over to the door, placing his paw onto the knob. But, instead of turning the golden-looking metal to open it, he stood there and stared into the dark colored wood.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid of what he would face once he got down the stairs. Their father wasn’t exactly merciful to begin with, and now that something close to his heart was thoroughly smashed to pieces, things weren’t looking that bright.

What’s worse was that he wasn’t even the one to throw the book in the first place. Although, the argument could be made that Edward was the one to instigate the fight, but even then it was still Gary who threw the book (which he shouldn’t have done anyway).

Either way, the downward spiral that was yesterday evening left Gary and Edward in their father’s crosshairs. Neither one of them was safe. And what could they do to stop it? It wasn’t like Edward could just hole up in his bedroom for the rest of his life. His father lived only a couple of rooms down. It wouldn’t take him more than a couple seconds to sniff him out.

He needed to face the music. However, if he were being completely honest, it felt like a very feasible option. It _was_ his father after all.

A sigh billowed through Edward’s snout. It was time. He built up what little confidence he had and sharply sucked in some air.

The door slowly opened to reveal the second floor hallway. He held his breath as he stared at the other doors scattered around the space. On his immediate right was the bathroom that Edward, Gary and Lavender shared. Their mother and father shared their own personal bathroom in the sanctity of their space directly across from Edward’s room, so they rarely ever utilized the one down the hall. Currently, Lavender had the reins of that space. She was still clearly humming some familiar tune that he almost wished he could recognize. It put a slow rhythm to Edward’s step as he slowly started to make his way down the hallway towards the stairs.

But before he even took a step forward, he gazed at the open door of the bedroom that Lavender and Gary shared directly across from the bathroom. Since Edward was lucky enough to have a mother who understood the kind of relationship he and his siblings shared and being the introverted mammal he was, the bedroom on the far side of the second floor was bound to him. And even though a good seven years had passed since that decision was finalized, Gary still made sure to show his resentment to that outcome, not that Edward cared. Gary didn’t understand, and probably never would.

Shaking that thought aside, his ears honed in on another sound that had creeped through the open doorway to his left. When Edward peered into the darkened room, he saw that Gary was sitting at the edge of his bed, slumped lazily as he finished the remainder of the yawn Edward managed to pick up. While Gary began rubbing his eyes, Edward took the chance to flee the scene and be on his merry way. Things were nice and quiet, and he was keen on keeping it that way.

Edward quickly walked around the corner past the rustic-looking wall light and down the staircase to the foyer below. As he descended towards the first floor he peered through the window next to the front door, gaining the slightly hindered view of their farm and the crops that looked to be sufficiently growing before him.

After reaching the foot of the stairs he stepped closer and closer to the window, allowing himself to take in more of the outside world and a feel of his surroundings. When he reached the glass, he was greeted with one of the calmest settings he could ever find on the farm.

Gentle winds were blowing through the fields, rustling the leaves on the trees just beyond the front porch while waves of corn and wheat gently swayed back and forth with the wind. The early morning rays blessed the sky with a light orange hue that touched the few sporadic clouds that dotted the late-spring skies. If Edward had to guess, the temperature must have been around a comfortable sixty-eight, even with the slightly chilly night that they had. It was perfect.

Just looking at the scene made him want to bust out the old hammock from the attic and spend a couple hours in the sun. Then he could finally read his book without interruption.

_My book…_ Edward regretfully remembered.

The whimsical thoughts of relaxation and leisure were soon replaced with that of worry and anxiousness as his gaze transferred over to the living room—the scene of the crime, Edward and Gary’s blunder.

Edward slowly strolled toward the room with his eyes set on the space where the plate had made contact with the floor. As he peered around the corner, he anticipated the various bits and pieces that were more than likely still scattered around the corner of the room.

But, to his surprise, there weren’t any pieces of ceramic scattered around at all. Not a single piece. Instead, in their place was a small brown cardboard box, filled with all of the pieces of the heirloom.

He kneeled down and looked around and inside the brown cardboard. What was left of the heirloom was sitting inside. It felt terrible to see it like it was.

Upon further inspection, there was something that caught Edward’s eye. On the side of the box was a plain yellow sticky note with the words _Wallace and Son’s Repair and Maintenance_ and a phone number. A sigh of relief rushed out of Edward’s lungs.

The Snow family had close ties to the Lupins—Wallace, his wife Sheryl, and their five pups, all wolves—on Charolete’s side of the family. Apparently, Edward’s grandfather was friends with Wallace's dad and served with him during the Great War in the same platoon. Once the war was over and everything began to calm back down, the Lupins settled down in Bunnyburrow and opened up their shop under the name _Bunnyburrow Repairs and Maintenance_ , eventually turning into _Wallace and Son’s_ soon after Wallace’s father passed away. Their family’s shop was located in the center of town next to a bakery shop and a clothing store that they also frequented occasionally.

_At least there’s a chance to fix this,_ he thought to himself.

If anyone could fix anything, it would be Wallace. It would pain Edward to see that the one thing their father cherished be broken and thrown away so easily. It would almost be like Gary completely ruining the one thing he'd actually be able to call his own. But, in this situation, the item in question had vast amounts of sentimental value being one of the few remaining items that showcased the entirety of their family at that time. More specifically, the mammal Edward’s father focused on the most in that photograph was his own father, Norman, Edward’s grandfather. From the stories that Edward’s mother told him, Norman was one of the most influential animals that Alabaster ever knew; he looked up to him and thought of him as his role model, and from what Edward heard his grandfather seemed like a really nice guy.

A few months before Edward, Gary and Lavender were brought into the world, Alabaster was hit with some grim news. Norman had been caught in a bad car accident while attempting to get back to his home from the central town in Bunnyburrow. His mother didn’t get into exact details of why he was there and who he was with, telling him that the injuries he sustained were too severe. Later that night, he passed away. The end result of this tragedy left Edward’s father broken and tattered. It was as if he was just a shell of his former self. And here he was, years later, a bitter old mammal still trying to cope with that hard fact.

Edward felt terrible about what happened to his father and his plate; he wouldn’t know what he would have done if he experienced something equally as tragic. However, that feeling wasn’t strong enough to be fully sympathetic to his cause. Not only did the end result of Norman’s death leave Alabaster broken, it left him bitter and almost downright repulsive. No amount of tragedy could excuse how hard he was on Edward specifically, and he sure wasn’t this crude to any other member of the family. What made it worse was that Gary had picked up on it too.

But, against his better judgement, Edward would do his best to apologize for what happened and try and quell some of the bad blood between the two of them, regardless if it would be in vain or not.

If Edward wanted to be the better mammal, and if he was still the kind mammal he knew he was, then that was the least he could do.

The silver wolf took one more look around the vicinity for the item he came for as he transitioned over towards the archway leading into the dining room. There was still something missing that he’d been wanting to grab since last night and only now did he have the chance to do so. Unsurprisingly, he found the book sitting neatly on the top of the book shelf, exactly where the plate would have been if it hadn’t been so carelessly knocked down.

Before he had the chance to even take a step to grab the book from its resting space, something heavenly made its way to his nose. Edward sniffed the air and took in some of the fantastic scent.

_Toast… and coffee. Wait, is that waffles too? It's gotta be,_ he determined quickly. His stomach rumbled. For all the traits he seemed to not possess as a wolf, he was thankful that he still had a great sense of smell.

Edward turned tail and nearly rushed over, led by his stomach, back through the foyer and into the dining room. The only thing that he could think about was the food that filled his nostrils. He almost forgot about the book and the plate for a moment. If it weren’t for that slight hesitation that made him do a double take towards the living room, he surely would have strolled on by. A few seconds of staring at the room later, he sighed. _I’ll get it after breakfast,_ he compromised.

With that, he turned his head over towards the kitchen. He was practically drooling at this point. All he wanted to do was see the food with his own eyes and bask in its glory (and to see if he was indeed right with his assumptions).

But that would have to wait. Coming into view from around the corner was none other than his mother, Charolete, who was standing in front of the stove with her back towards him. With a flick of her ear—more than likely picking up on the creaking of the floorboards below Edward’s feet—she turned to him with a warm smile.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” she greeted.

“G’morning mom.”

He made his way over around the kitchen’s island and towards the stove near the far corner of the room. Without missing a beat he wrapped his paws around her waist and hugged her, and received a hug back in return. When they separated, she went back to cooking while Edward took a step back to watch.

The way that she worked food felt like magic. No matter the dish, everything she cooked tasted fantastic and looked immaculate. It was like eating from a five star restaurant.

This would surely be no different.

Today's meal looked to be one of his mom’s breakfast specialties: Eggs-in-toast, topped with green onion, cheddar cheese and a side of bug patties—or for Edward, a couple of nicely seasoned tofu patties. Just looking at some of the ingredients laid out on the counter, the patties, the eggs, the toast, made him salivate even more than the smell managed to do.

Though, he couldn’t help but notice the lack of waffles. He could have sworn he smelled them if the additional stench of sugary syrup meant anything.

Edward’s stomach supplied a rumble big enough to halt the thought dead in its tracks.

Charolete, picking up on the noise, grinned and teased, “Sounds like someone's hungry this morning.”

“Just a little bit,” he replied.

“Well, I think you're going to like what's on the menu today.”

The she-wolf ruffled the fur atop the youngest wolf’s head and shared a laugh before going back to her duties.

She stared at all the ingredients in front of her, left to right, taking them all into account—the eggs, the lightly baked toast still warm from the toaster, cheddar cheese, the green onions, tofu and bug patties, and lastly the salt and pepper. Then came her tools—spatula, fork, bowls, plates, they were all accounted for. She then shut her eyes and took a slow breath in.

This was Edward’s favorite part.

The pans were ready, their heat beckoning the call of fresh food. The ingredients were all sorted neatly in their places beside the stove. Edward could feel the rush of adrenaline as he waited patiently in suspense.

Then, she opened her eyes. Showtime.

Her paws grabbed three pieces of toast and placed them into the left-topmost pan. The butter beneath the bread sizzled under the heat of the copper, which created a slightly greasy aroma that Edward couldn't get enough of. Just as the slices of bread got situated into their places she grabbed two of the three eggs sitting inside a glass bowl and cracked both of them over the rim of the pan, expertly allowing the innards to fall directly into the hollowed out center of the toast. Right after adjusting the slices of bread and moving them around in the pan, she grabbed the small platter of patties and began quickly scooping up the seven bug versions with her spatula, placing them onto the right-topmost pan in an orderly fashion. As for the three seasoned tofu patties, they got their own smaller pan on the bottom left burner.

All of this occurred within the span of a single minute, and Charolete wasn't even breaking a sweat. _How is she so calm?_ the young wolf wondered.

Without missing a beat, she grabbed the bowl and the remaining two eggs and cracked them open against the rim of the glass. With the fork she whisked away at the yolks until all that remained was a thick yellow liquid.

Before she began cooking the whisked egg into scrambled eggs, she tended to the food already cooking on the three pans. The eggs inside the toast were cooking beautifully, and both the bug and tofu patties were sizzling in the heat. It smelt wonderful. Even the bugs looked fantastic.

But, as she worked on the food, she was faced with another problem. Both she and Edward looked around the counter. She was missing a pan. If the scrambled eggs weren't ready by the time the other meals were ready, they would get cold. That was something neither of them could allow to happen.

Seeing the problem, Edward hastily opened the cupboard door next to the stove, grabbed an appropriately sized pan and placed it into the only remaining burner left on their stovetop.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” she lightly smiled as she turned on the last burner. “When I tell you ‘go,’ start setting plates for service, yes?”

“Yes, chef,” he replied formally, shuffling towards the sink to first wash his paws, then back to the counter to prepare for the dishes.

“Good,” came her hesitant reply.

She went back to her tasks and observed the rest of the food carefully, maneuvering each item inside until she was satisfied enough to move onto one of the last items on her list.

With the pan at an optimal temperature, she grabbed the bowl of liquid egg and poured it inside. Instantly, the heat began cooking the whisked egg as the liquid directly against the copper collected and clumped up into a solid mass. The she-wolf tentatively made sure that the egg didn't burn and stick to the pan, her spatula moving the nearly finished portions to the middle, allowing the rest of the egg to fully cook.

After another minute on the burner, as well as a good round of seasoning of salt and pepper for all her items, the scrambled eggs were finally complete along with the egg inside the toast. She placed her spatula under the bottoms of the toast in the other pan, then gave her son the signal he was waiting for. Edward was ready.

“Go.”

Like lightning, Charolete lifted the pan off of the burner and placed each individual piece of toast onto the three plates with ease, then scooped the scrambled egg into the piece that still had its shot-glass sized hole empty.

Once the second pan was cleared away, Edward went to work. He centered every slice of toast and cleaned up the pieces of scrambled egg that had missed the toast entirely. Then, he grabbed the bowl of freshly grated cheddar cheese to his left and began layering it on top of the bread and eggs. Next, he grabbed the bowl of green onion and sprinkled it onto the two pieces that didn't contain the scrambled egg, knowing that the one who preferred the other kind of egg also didn't like the taste of onion. Finally, he grabbed the pan on the stove that contained the patties and placed each individual one at three triangular points on the plate, putting the three tofu versions on what would be his plate.

After putting the pan back onto the burner, he looked at each plate with a smile. They looked pretty good. Not great, but good enough.

However, it felt like there was still something missing. Something that would add a little more flair into the dish.

“...!”

He had it.

He ran over to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of sriracha, and then rushed towards the silverware drawer, grabbing a small spoon. When he got back to the counter, he removed the cap from the bottle and squeezed a dot of it to the left of each patty. A smile crept on his muzzle. He took the spoon and for each plate rested it on top of the dot and swiped the spoon parallel to the rim of the plate, creating a yin-yang like shape with each dab of hot sauce.

Edward took a step back and looked at each plate. Another smile formed, then a rush of excitement. They looked stunning. He looked toward his mother standing behind him who adorned a smile of her own, awaiting her judgement.

She chuckled, then finally spoke.

“They look absolutely beautiful, Edward. Nicely done.”

“T-thanks.”

To see that even his mother, the former chef, thought that the dish looked nice, it made him feel a sense of pride. Although, it was a faux sense seeing as how all the work came from his mother’s paws. He just sat back and cleaned some plates. At least he made the dishes look presentable. His mother had the professional experience built up over years of hard work. He was still just a young pup learning how to cook himself, so he assumed that he shouldn't be too hard on himself. Perhaps one day he could learn the way his mother had learned?

“So, are they ready for service? Looks like our diners are finally at the table,” she asked, snapping him out of his thought.

Edward gave a hesitant nod and a smile, “Yeah.”

_When did they get into the kitchen?_ he wondered. He didn't hear a thing when he was working with Charolete. So when did they make it down? He shook it off. It was breakfast time, more importantly, food time. _Little ninjas…_

“You don't have to worry about the dishes today either, I'll take care of them. After breakfast, your father will be coming in to assign you and Gary your… project for the day.

_More like punishment,_ he grimly thought before replying, “Okay.”

Taking all three plates from the countertop, one having to balance onto his forearm, he moved into the dining room with a genuine faux smile to face both his sister and his brother sitting at opposite ends of the table.

At first glance, Gary looked to be incredibly groggy. He was struggling to stay awake as he nearly nodded off. It made Edward remind him that he was still tired himself.

On the other hand, Lavender looked to be fully attentive, amethyst eyes wide open and a smile adorning her face as Edward made his way over. To his knowledge, it seemed as if she was trying to hold the same kind of smile he was.

_She must be tired too_ , he assumed.

He placed the plates in between the glasses of water and sets of silverware in front of their representative diners—first, the scrambled egg-in-toast minus onion for Gary, second, the regular meal for Lavender, and finally, the tofu patty version, Edward’s plate.

He sat down at the seat next to Gary and took a good look at what he created one last time before it would be cast away into the pit that was his stomach, then dug right in.

Needless to say, it was fantastic. The perfect blend of flavor all packed together neatly on a single plate. On top of that, all three of them were completely silent while they ate their breakfasts, Gary’s muzzle nearly falling into his food as he bobbed in and out of sleep. What more could Edward ask for?

With their food eaten and their stomachs full, Charolete took their plates, glassware, and silverware and took them into the kitchen.

But amongst the clattering of glass and metal, a light feminine voice could be heard calling out to him. “Hey Ed…?”

He put a smile on and replied, “Yeah Lav?”

“Sorry for getting mom and dad involved. It wasn't cool of me to do that. I just thought that you two might actually get into an _actual_ fight that time, considering the subject and all.”

“It's fine.”

Edward sat back and stared up at the ceiling, eyeing all of the little details on the chandelier hanging above. He couldn't blame the lot of them for not being good at small talk, he wasn't good at it at all.

But before he could get too comfortable, Lavender spoke once more, Edward turning his gaze to the awkward looking wolf in front of him. He noted the strangeness of her body language and the way she spoke.

“Listen, Ed...do you mind doing me a favor? Just for today?”

“...”

For a second he sat there and contemplated what exactly she had in mind for him. He had an idea, but he was hoping that he wasn't right with his assumption.

But rather than just blowing the whole idea aside, he played along and agreed to whatever she had planned. “Sure.”

“Could…could...”

She was obviously struggling with whatever she needed to say, which was something extremely out of the ordinary for her. Edward waited patiently for her to get the words out. He was certain that he wasn't going to like it. He prepared for the worst.

Lavender paused and took a breath, then looked him dead in the eye, almost pleading.

“Could you possibly work outside today? Please? I'm…not exactly feeling well…and I'd rather not push it with the yardwork we do—”

“Sure,” he agreed, understanding the message.

Lavender smiled, a sigh of relief easing the tension in her shoulders. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Well, I guess that makes my job a whole lot easier.”

The stern baritone voice made the lot of pups at the table shoot to attention, Gary specifically being the most drastic as he brought his head up from the tabletop. They looked to their father who was leaning against the archway leading into kitchen, staring each of them down.

He transitioned to the chair on the end of the table and continued, pointing to Edward, “Today, you and Gary are going to be working outside.” Before the eldest of the three pups could object, their father shot him a glare, halting whatever he was going to say dead in its tracks. “Because of what happened yesterday, I thought that a little farm work would be punishment enough for the both of you.”

“But, dad—”

“Gary, I will not have any of it. I of all mammals should know by now that all you wanna do is display yourself to the pack. But, by picking on the runt? Come on, Gary. You've got to do better than that.”

As Edward felt the personal jab and Gary sounded a disgruntled huff, Charolete stepped sternly into the conversation from the kitchen while she finished up the remainder of the dishes. “Alabaster, back to the punishment.”

He mumbled and complained quietly, then ultimately resigned. “Yes dear,” he groveled, then looked towards the three pups. “Your mother and I came to the decision late last night after cleaning up the rest of your mess. We felt that the hard work would show Edward how to properly tend to the farm, while building what little relationship you two have. The latter was your mother’s idea.”

Gary's head tilted. “Ladder? Why’s mom climb—”

“No, _latter_ ,” Edward clarified. “With two ‘t’s instead of ‘d’s. It usually means the last option out of two—”

“Shut it!”

The youngest and eldest wolf pups shut their mouths upon their father’s order and obediently waited for him to start talking again, which he then calmly directed at Gary.

“Because of your younger brother’s incompetence with the basics of farming, today's your lucky day. Today, you both get one of the most mind-numbing tasks I could give: you two will be going around the farm and pulling out any weeds that you can find.”

While Gary blatantly showed his dissatisfaction with his new role, Edward breathed a sigh of relief. His mother and him usually went around the gardens outside the house and weeded regularly. This couldn't have worked out better for him. It would be a cakewalk.

“Do we at least get to use the chemical?” Gary asked.

“...Under normal circumstances, yes, I would let _you_ use it. But, again, since Edward doesn't have any experience with it and your mother’s resistance to the idea, the chemical is out of the question. Instead, you'll be using the tools in the shed. You'll both be working ten minutes from now ‘till dinner. Get yourselves ready.” He then turned to Lavender. “Looks like you've got the reins on the house today with Charolete.”

She cleared her throat. “Looks like I do.”

“Your mother and I will be making a run to town after lunch to pick up a few things, so make sure these two keep working.”

“Will do.”

“Alright you three…” the wolf looked at all three of his pups then sent them off. “Get going.”

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

A little bit over six hours and a very uneventful sandwich-filled lunchtime later, Edward and Gary were hard at work removing weeds and other flora that had grown around the crops. They had covered the little portion of fields that were up by the shed, greenhouse, and around the house, and now all that was left were the crops by the edge of the road. Although it spanned a house length past the stretch of dirt that led to their house, the combined teamwork of both the Snow pups made it bearable.

And if Edward could take away anything from this punishment, this work was nothing to joke about. It was the definition of back-breaking.

Today was one of the hottest days of the spring to date, an unbelievable seventy degrees Fahrenheit, and Edward could feel it. He had been panting since the end of his lunch, and there was just no possibility of shaking it. Both Gary and him knew that if they stopped now at the pace they were going—nearly an hour after their parents had left for town—they would be in even more trouble for slacking off.

Weeding aside, Edward couldn't imagine farming being a recurring thing for him. He couldn't imagine another day let alone another hour full of the heat, the dirt, the sweat, any of it.

He had to give Gary and Lavender credit. Weeding was hard enough in large quantities. But actual farm work? Edward wanted no part in it.

This was truly a suitable punishment for him.

He used the picker in his paw to dig up another weed stuck firmly in the ground, which allowed the dirt around it to fly freely up into his face and then into his eyes for the fourth time.

“Biscuits!” Edward bitterly cursed, throwing the sharp part of his gardening tool into the soil as he started rubbing his eyes.

Through Edward's foggy vision, he could spot the blob that was Gary and his brown lawn bag getting closer.

“Again? Seriously?” he asked sourly, looking at Edward with a glare.

The younger wolf contained a growl building in his chest, only agreeing after a short exasperated sigh, “Again.”

Gary let out a huff and shook his head. Edward finished rubbing out the remainder of the dirt from his eyes and looked out past the paved road in front of them to the fields beyond, the Hopps’ farmland. A small gust of wind ruffled the plants and Edward’s fur. That hammock seemed absolutely tempting.

But, unfortunately, he didn't get to enjoy the scenery for long. The eldest pup had opened his maw once again, this time in the usual spite and malice he normally displayed.

“It's like you're not even trying. I thought you and mom gardened together?”

Edward attempted to switch the topic back to their work, too tired to deal with any of his brother's shenanigans after a long day on the farm. “Look, let's just get this done. We're so close to finishing this up, and I don't know about you, but I just want to relax for the rest of the day. So if we could just finish this and not start anything, that would be great.”

“Wow, looks like someone's feeling confident today,” Gary huffed.

“Nope, just tired.”

“You? Tired? After finally working a day, who would have thought.”

Edward ignored the last jab and grabbed both the weed picker and the invasive plant he had just pulled from the earth and moved towards his own brown lawn bag, discarding the plant. He picked up the  paper bag and moved it over to the second to last row.

He wasn't there to fight with his brother, he was there to atone for his mistake yesterday.

But still, Gary kept going. “Do you even know how much work we have to do out here to maintain everything? If anyone should be tired, it would be me, Lavender, and dad. You just sit in the house all day.”

Edward slowly turned to Gary and crossed his arms. “You do know that someone has to clean up your mess, wash the dishes, do the laundry, tend to the garden, and run errands, right?”

“Pfft, please. Mom does almost all of the work around the house. There's no way that your lazy butt would be doing all of that.”

The younger pup bent down and dug his gardening tool into the soil next to a weed. “Ask mom, she’d vouch for me.”

“No way,” Gary doubted. “She’s totally biased. She'd take your side in a heartbeat.”

“You can trust her word. She’s honest.”

“I wouldn't know.”

“…”

Edward faltered at Gary’s last statement. It was difficult to comprehend for himself. It was true that their mother spent more time with him and hardly any time with Gary, but it wasn't out of will, and it certainly wasn't her desire to push away her kin.

On the contrary, their mother would _never_ do such a thing. She loved everyone. That would mean that if anyone pushed anyone away, it would be none other than Gary himself. It was he that preferred their father over their mother, and he almost shut her out completely. If it weren't for the need for food, laundry, and cleaning, Edward was sure that Gary didn’t care at all.

But, instead of telling Gary the truth and instigating yet another fight, he attempted to once again focus on the current task at hand by honing in on another weed a couple of feet down.

And, again, Gary kept going and began following him where he went, not that Edward was surprised in any way. It was as if he was _asking_ for a fight.

“If you even cared about what we do here, you wouldn't be sitting inside all day. You would be out here helping us maintain the one thing that brings money to the farm and food on the table. But, you know what?”

Edward waited for a second to allow him to answer his own question, then turned his head to find that he was waiting for a response. He let out yet another light aggravated sigh. “What?”

“I think dad already knows that.”

The youngest pup’s ears flicked and adjusted themselves in Gary's direction. The mention of their dad flipped the conversation into something different, a place where he didn't want to go, at least not now. However, Edward was certain that Gary noticed his negative reaction based on the light chuckle that seemed to linger in the air. He continued.

“Maybe that's why he thinks _so_ highly of you. I think we both know you mean nothing. You and him aren't on good terms already, considering that you're pretty much less than an omeg—”

Edward threw the picker into the soil. He could feel the agitation brewing inside him, which managed to spill out when he stood up and spoke over his brother, “Gary, stop.”

“Oooh, look at you,” Gary deviously grinned at the interruption, “Have you finally found your bite?”

“Come on Gair. Please, can we just get through this work?”

Edward stepped away and picked up both the garden tool and lawn bag. He hurriedly shuffled over to the next weed and began attempting to pull it from the ground.

“Aww, but I was having fun!”

“You're picking fights,” Edward tried telling him, grabbing the freshly picked weed and tossing it into the bag.

Gary pushed it further. “What, you can't take a little heat?”

It was then that Edward finally broke. He looked up, stared straight into Gary’s brown eyes and began to speak, his newfound confidence taking shape.

“No, I just think it's a little sad for you to be picking fights with someone who's ‘less than an omega.’ Isn't that right? Was that what you were going to say? Well, if you're asking me, I think that's kind of pathetic. And the best part is that I think dad would agree.”

A dark expression swept over Gary as his paws turned into fists, then he spoke.

“Shut up.”

“What,” Edward grinned, enjoying the moment, “you can't take what you dish out—Oof!!”

Before he could get the last word out, Gary’s snow-white paws shoved Edward backwards into the paper lawn bag. Luckily for him, he was able to find his footing again as the bag crumpled under the weight of his foot.

“I said, shut up!” the eldest wolf yelled.

At first Edward looked at his brother towering over him. He could feel the fear that made his entire body shake. There was a high chance that if he pursued this any further he could wind up getting hurt, or worse, into even more trouble than they already were in.

However, he wanted to be strong, to prove that he wasn't going to simply be bossed around. Confidence was once again building in his chest. Edward shook his head and stood back up on his feet. His grey colored paws wiped the dirt from his shirt. “You're such a hypocrite.”

Edward bent down, picked the bag up off the ground and reached for the weed picker he’d callously thrown down.

And that's when he heard it: the sound of a low, gargled growl just barely loud enough to hear, then the harsh rustle of dirt, and finally…claws. _Claws…_ he thought. He could practically feel the tension looming in the air around him; it couldn't have possibly been the heat. What made matters worse was that his back was towards his brother.

_Fight or flight?_

Edward thought over the two options for a millisecond before his body made an executive decision and quickly leaped from his crouched position over to the next row of plants. With his back to the dirt, he was able to get a clear view of the deranged look in his brother’s eyes. Gary had swiped the air where Edward originally was, only faltering when he realized that his target had moved.

The silver wolf looked upon the act of aggression. He was in a state of shock.

_He… he actually tried to hit me… he tried to_ seriously _hit me…_

He didn’t want to believe it. The next thought that went through his head after that was: _Run._

As soon as he kicked up the dirt and bolted down the row of crops, his older brother took another attempt and swiped in his direction, giving chase after failing a second time.

Both wolves bolted down the rows they were in, the runt losing speed as his legs began to pathetically tire out, his older brother managing to easily gain up on him. Edward wished that the work he did earlier wasn't as bad as it actually was, perhaps then he might’ve had the stamina to lose him. He cast the thought away and focused as much as he could on running away.

Edward jumped over to the final row of crops, the fur on his foot grazing the leaves of a young corn stalk, causing him to nearly stumble when he hit the dirt.

Unfortunately, Gary wasn't that far behind. He ran through the row beside the one Edward was running through, his physicality showing just how superior it was to his younger brother’s.

And when the white furred wolf inevitably got close enough to him, he lept over the knee-high row of corn and tacked Edward to the ground.

It took a short moment for both wolves to regain their senses, Gary only letting up from Edward to flip him over so Edward could see him clearly. He grabbed the nape of his little brother's shirt and with his other free paw unsheathed the black claws from under his fur. His brown eyes looked directly into Edward’s cobalt ones.

“Don't you _ever_ call me pathetic again, do you hear me?”

“Get off of me, Gary,” Edward attempted to warn him. At the same time, as he was squirming to find an opening in Gary's defenses, he noticed that his arms were open to move. He quickly noted how stupid his brother could be before a plan formed in his head.

“I SAID, DO YOU HEAR ME—”

Before he had the chance to finish repeating himself, the runt pushed his brother off from on top of him and used his legs to successfully push him back to the ground. In the meantime, the stupefied Gary lost his footing and managed to twist in the direction he was falling.

The eldest pup fell with a hard _thud_ , managing to land face first into a line of some purple colored flowers near the roadside.

When everything calmed back down, Edward let out a pent-up breath and began panting once again as he got up from the ground.

“BOYS!”

Before Edward had the chance to fully assess the situation himself, Alabaster came rushing onto the scene along with Charolete, both with looks of worry on their faces.

“Mom, da—”

“Get him away from those Nighthowlers, Al,” Charolete ordered, ignoring their youngest son.

“I know, I know.” Alabaster pulled Gary from the ground and back towards the corn, but not before he started sniffling and growling, then convulsing as their father tried keeping him down. “Gary, it's going to be okay son, just keep breathing, keep on breathing.”

Edward looked at where Gary was before, noticing an entire flower was missing.

_Is… he okay? Was he allergic to whatever that was?_ Edward thought in a panic.

The silver wolf attempted to ask what was on his mind, “I-is he okay—”

His father’s baritone voice interrupted him, booming like a cannon, “Get out of here!”

Edward flinched at the command and stared at him. Each and every word said felt like daggers piercing his very flesh.

“B-but—” the pup stammered.

“GET INSIDE NOW, EDWARD! YOU’VE DONE ENOUGH!”

Edward heeded his father's words and began to take his first couple of steps. He struggled to move away from the scene he’d caused. Gary looked as if he were in tremendous pain.

_I… I can’t believe_ I _caused this…_ he thought.

Then, the snow-white pup stopped convulsing. What came afterwards was bone-chilling. He looked up to his younger brother with a snarl. Gary was growling. His eyes had suddenly changed. Edward froze in shock. It was then that his older brother began sprinting over towards Edward. Before Gary could get to him, Alabaster leaped forward and tackled the eldest pup to the ground, holding him back.

“EDWARD, **_GO_!** ”

Without a second thought, the silver wolf ran back to the house, tears streaking down his face in waves. All he wanted was just the day to be over. He wanted to escape the punishment cleanly without any major fights. And all his plan did was go up in smoke.

Edward ignored the clear sound of a deep, mature yelp and a feminine scream as he made it to the house. He wanted to just forget this all even happened. The plate, the work, the fight, the look in his brother’s eyes. _Everything._

This wasn’t what he wanted. He wasn’t like this. He wasn’t meant to be like them. He was meant to be nothing. Just as they said.

_Nothing..._

Edward wished he could forget that moment and erase it from existence.

   

   

And, after some time, he eventually did.


	7. Contact

A pent-up breath made its way out of Edward's snout, the gust gently brushing the top layer of his fur.

He could feel his entire body shaking out of pure anxiety. The coffee resting inside the mug in his paws sloshed around the sides, spilling a couple times over the rim and onto his fur. Was it obvious that he was scared out of his wits? With the exception of his wedding, he couldn't imagine anything else in his life that could have made him quite as nervous.

Alabaster Snow was (and still is) a difficult mammal to deal with. On top of being Edward's father, he was incredibly stubborn, resistant to change, and overall, one of the strictest mammals in the entire family. Edward of all mammals should know. He spent the first eighteen years of his life being raised by him.

Edward felt incredibly thankful that he had the bustling city of Zootopia to call home. Here, he didn't have to worry about being part of a pack, about being shunned for who he loved-at least, as long as his secrecy stayed intact-on top of being shunned for not following the wolf mentality, or even the fighting.

Zootopia was  _nearly_  perfect. Take away the bigotry and hate towards predators, then it would be a true paradise.

Years ago, when Sharla and him both finished high school and ventured out past their home town of Bunnyburrow, Edward was finally able to escape the weight of his family. Since his departure, he hadn't looked back. At that point, he had already accomplished his goal and became the better mammal that Alabaster Snow wished he could be. Edward was finally happy, content even, to have a stable life with a mammal he cared for even if she wasn't a wolf-sadly, much to most of his family's dismay. He went to college, got his Bachelor's, obtained a well paying job in the heart of the city, and had friends that he could trust and depend on.

And even if the rest of his family were still stuck in their ways, at least he could have solace in the fact that Charolete understood. What mattered most of all, however, was Sharla. She and Edward fully understood one another and loved each other deeply, and that was all he could ever ask for.

So it went without saying that the thought of returning back home made him slightly overwhelmed. With all of the negativity surrounding the topic, who would be surprised? When he explained the situation to his friend and colleague, he agreed, coming to the same consensus as Edward did. Although, he didn't share a similar reaction. The tiger was notably calm. Even when he shared his findings from their trip to the precinct and gave Charles the bits and pieces of what he could in regards to what exactly 'Nighthowlers' were. However, the information was sadly limited. Edward just couldn't remember.

A frown and heavy eyes stared down the mug in his paws. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Charles, mostly because of the same melancholy expression from earlier that morning that still plagued his muzzle hours later. If Edward had to take a guess, he was becoming borderline annoying, and by now Charles was tired of it. He was sure.

But, his friend would never would tell him that directly. Charles was too kind to be blunt about that sort of topic, he had way more understanding about it than most mammals could in their entire lifetime. So instead, he left the thoughts to linger and fester inside his head, hoping they would eventually die.

Edward took a sip of coffee and pulled his attention to something else, this time towards the Watering Hole. The protesters in the park had managed to dwindle off, their numbers lessened to only a few select mammals.

If you took away the papers scattered around the ground, the park would be back to its normal, peaceful self.

However, before Edward could fully immerse himself deeper into the setting, Charles concluded his thinking on the other side of the booth and hesitantly opened his maw. It was back to business as usual.

"So… what you're saying is that these… 'Nighthowlers' are something we  _need_  to look into for our story…"

Edward gave a nod.

"And that the only way to obtain more information is to go back to your home and to your jerk of a father?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, but eventually the wolf gave another nod.

"Are you sure that this is the  _only_ way to get the information, Edward? Like, completely positive?"

"...Yes," came his quiet reply.

Charles sank back into the black cushions of his seat, and crossed his arms. A light sigh billowed through his nostrils. He went back to thinking. Edward looked down at his coffee in the meantime. His cobalt eyes focused on the point where the light brown liquid and the mug met as he attempted to answer a few questions that he'd accumulated on his way to the diner.

Was he completely sure that going back home was the only option he had? If he had to answer, it would most certainly be a flat-out no.

Going off of his very spotty memory, all he remembered was that he'd heard the term somewhere back on the farm from his parents. If he had to guess, it was more than likely some major fight.

That also begged another question. If this information was as important as he thought it was for the story-and more importantly, his job-why was he having so much trouble remembering the meaning of that simple word? It seemed almost idiotic.

Before an answer could accompany his question, Charles pulled his attention with the rumble of his smooth bassy tone.

"The timing of it all couldn't be any worse," Charles sighed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know…" Edward admitted.

"And I know you know. What concerns me is… well… are you even sure you want to do this, Ed?"

The wolf gave Charles a puzzled look, prompting his friend to clarify his statement.

"Look, I know that we probably need this information for the story, I get that. But what and who I also know is your father, and more importantly, you. I know your history with him and what I don't want to happen is to put you in a situation where you're dealing with  _his_  problems again. Edward, I want to look out for you. I don't trust him."

Edward slowly slumped in his booth.

"But, I mean, that aside, what if on the off chance this lead gets us absolutely nowhere? We have to consider the fact that this lead might be a dead end. Then we would've wasted precious time-a good day's worth-accomplishing absolutely nothing to attribute to our story, which is something we can't afford to do."

"I… I know…" Edward repeated, letting out a breath of his own. "But, as you said, we  _need_  this. There is no probably, this is our livelihood on the line. This story is everything. And… I just can't describe it, but I have this strange feeling that we should pursue it. Even if it means going back."

The end of his hunch left Edward fighting back another wave of tears. He wasn't going to cry. Edward refused to. There was no need to fight himself or the subject anymore. He was strong… right?

Edward swallowed down the sadness with a sip of his coffee and pressed on.

"In order for this story to move forward, as much as I hate to admit it, I need to go back home. And although we might be wasting time by even trying this in the first place, we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot if we didn't expend all of our options and resources."

The wolf shivered while he released his cup, finally noticing that the anxious shaking of his body left him with an ugly chill that his coffee couldn't satisfy.

Charles placed a paw on Edward's shoulder. They locked gazes.

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

There was this other side of him that fought the idea. He just couldn't fathom it being worth going back home for anything, even it was for work.

However, the need for the information outweighed his personal vendetta against most of his immediate family. Although they were a pain to deal with, he would have to push through it for the time being. With all of the strength he could muster, Edward pushed his griping aside and gave Charles a final answer.

"...Yes."

Charles first looked at him with a blank stare, then flashed a grin that caused Edward to awkwardly turn away.

"Alright then," the tiger said.

Although he couldn't bring himself to fully smile himself-given the nature of what was being expected of him-he was able to give his friend a quick twitch on the corner of his mouth, generating this awkward half smile that nearly made Edward want to facepalm. After that he stared outward towards the park, letting normal nervous thoughts run their course.

A round of sporadic questions fluttered in Edward's head. These were made up of the general 'what would I or should I say,' and the 'what would happen if he became hostile or uncooperative,' then transformed into a personal debate that ended in him giving up on whatever point he was trying to make.

On top of those questions was a small sum that he failed to consider before he agreed to this excursion. One of these questions brought up a good point: what if his father didn't want to see him? Or rather, what if Alabaster shut out Edward before he got the chance to explore the topic of interest in the first place? It was incredibly plausible that he would not agree to see him. That would surely leave him and Charles with no other leads to work with and set them back to square one.

That left him with his other question: would he be able to handle it all-going back, facing his father and Lavender, the topic at hand-and not be an emotional wreck by the end of it? If it came to that point, getting information was the least of his concerns.

Edward couldn't help but express some curiosity. He began to wonder; what would happen once he got there? How would his father act? What about his sister? More importantly, what about him? How would he turn out by the end of it all? There were so many questions to ponder, so much uncertainty in his head, and out of everything, it was the one thing that scared him the most, even more so than Alabaster himself.

Edward's thumbs traced the rim of his coffee cup as he thought about the problems that were rising up like mountains in his mind. He could feel the tension in his shoulders and the headache that tempted to distract him. Stress was beginning to take over.

However, he couldn't help but imagine beyond the stress of his work what the relationship between him and his father would have been like if he hadn't been the runt of the litter, or even if the impact of Norman's death hadn't affected Alabaster so harshly. It was curious to try and think about a kinder version of his father. Or, at least it was until Edward shook the dream away.

_Wishful thinking,_ the wolf thought before completely abandoning the whimsical fantasy. A kind version of Alabaster? Not a chance. He would have to come from another world entirely, similar to a vast multiverse just like from one of the superhero television shows he watched some time ago.

Instead, Edward's eyes began honing in on his immediate surroundings. He began with the walls of the restaurant and the minimalistic modern decor, suitable for something so close to the very heart of Zootopia. Considering the lower than expected cost of some of the food they had, it was almost as nice if not better than some of the high-end restaurants back in the downtown area if the sheer volume of mammals in the room meant anything. Perhaps it was the constant low chatter mixed with the clanging of silverware and glass that contributed to the ever growing headache building at the front of his head.

_I need to focus._  Edward scolded his drifting attention span.  _As much as I hate it, I need to figure out how I'm going to tackle… going back…_

He let the thought trail off. Another sigh blew slowly through his nose _._  He knew it would be better if he brought it up now rather than after they got their light meals, but at the moment it was like pulling teeth.

"...How would I even tackle this?" Edward quietly mumbled while he thought to himself.

"Hmm?" Charles's brow raised as he sipped on his own mug of coffee.

Heat rushed to Edward's ears as embarrassment fueled the frantic need to explain himself. The wolf cleared his throat. "Sorry, I was talking to myself. I was trying to figure out how I'm going to convince my dad to let me visit."

"You could just call and ask him," Charles shrugged. Before Edward had the chance to object, the tiger explained, "I mean, the worst that he could say is no. At least then we'd have a clean-cut answer and we can continue to get leads on our own."

"But  _how_  would I ask him? Just tell him that we're working on something for… a story…"

Charles took another sip of coffee and reveled in satisfaction with a sly grin. "And there you go. Doesn't need overcomplication."

The wolf pulled his smartphone out of his front pants pocket and quickly unlocked it using the paw print scan. It didn't take long for him to find his contact list and locate the contact named ' _ **Home**_ ' between ' _Wallaby_ _ **Harrison**_ ' and ' _Julia_ _ **Hoof**_ _,'_ two of his old classmates he hung out with back when he and Sharla were still in college studying for their degrees. When they all had the time, they and a few other friends all made an attempt to hang out either at a bar or one of their homes, but they hadn't been able to now for months because of various reasons, one of which was Charolete's unfortunate passing.

After a quick recollection of their last meetup, his thumb hovered over the contact that was his old home. But, instead of clicking on it, he sat there in a trance staring at the name a few contacts below.

The name of the contact he was stuck on was none other than his boss's, Danielle Horn. Because he thought it would be easier in the long run, his personal phone was used also as a work phone and had all the contacts from the co-workers he usually spoke to embedded in his list. This unfortunately included a direct contact to his boss's number.

Just looking at the name made him uncomfortable. A stark reminder of the ultimatum flashed in his head. The uncertainty that took root began making his body shiver yet again.

Before those thoughts could take him anywhere grim, Charles's pure bass tone sounded over the chatter of the cafe, his warm smile offering some reassurance as he spoke.

"Just take it slow. Take a breather. There's no need to rush this."

Edward hesitantly nodded and took his friend's advice. He once again filled his lungs with a slow, deep breath, then another as he let his previous worries slip away.

Although he couldn't help the nerves that stemmed from the mere thought of talking with his father, he wouldn't dare let Horn get to him. It wasn't an option. Period.

Once his final breath completely escaped his muzzle he looked at the contact name and tapped his thumb on it, bringing up the contact menu. He tapped on the green phone icon. The phone call finally began. He took a quick breath and pulled the phone up to the side of his face.

Rapid questions flew around in Edward's mind, such as 'how am I going to start,' and 'what will I say,' addingonto the anxious tension that was building in his shoulders. His free paw attempted to remedy this with a massage, and seemed to help for the moment.

Edward could clearly imagine the digitized voice of their caller ID speaking throughout the house. " _Call from: EDWARD...CELL_."

_How would Lavender and Alabaster react?_  he wondered. He rarely ever called home in the first place, and if he did it would be to talk with Charolete about events in his life worth sharing. So the fact that he would be calling now after everything that had happened, they would probably be shocked, astounded even.

Eventually, he managed to get a connection to the house and the device in his paw rang sharply in his left ear. Then it rang again. And again. Another ring. Doubt started setting in.

Another couple of rings solidified his remark, and upon the seventh he shook his head.

"He's not going to answer-"

But before his thumb had the chance to end the call and call it quits for this daring idea, a familiar digital voice hit both of his ears, causing them to twitch.

"Hello?"

That specific voice and that tone were both unmistakable. It was Alabaster. He had answered the phone, much to Edward's surprise. A curse fluttered in Edward's head before he brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Hello?" Edward sheepishly replied.

"Edward?" came a light reply from the other end of the line.

"…?"

Light was a very unusual characteristic for someone as brunt and brash as Alabaster. His suspicion loomed in the far reaches of his mind. Edward would trudge on carefully. Something was up with his father, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out what it was just yet.

"Hi Alabaster. I-I'll keep this short and sweet so I don't take up too much of your time." He sighed quietly and thought about his next set of words carefully. "I was calling to ask you if I can ask some questions about a story I'm working on for work. It turns out that you're the only one who might have the answers I'm looking for, so I'd really appreciate it."

"Um…"

_Um?_ Edward questioned skeptically.  _What's there to think about? It's just a simple yes or no question._ His sheepishness had quickly subsided and now turned into irritation.

Alabaster continued, "I just got done with the farming work for today… I'd have to-"

Edward could clearly tell where the conversation was heading. Essentially, the gist of his father's reply would end up being a decline to Edward's request. The silver wolf huffed. As usual, his father tried his best to avoid him and dodge the topic of interest as much as possible. Edward surely wasn't going to sit idly and watch it happen to him.

Edward finally had to put his foot down. "You know what, it's fine. I understand-"

"No, no! I… I…"

An audible sigh could be heard over the speaker. Edward raised his brow.

"I would… appreciate having you over for a bit. I'll answer anything you've got."

"…?"

He was… wrong?

Of all the responses he could have gotten from his father, one of the rudest, bluntest, strictest parents he could've ever ended up with, Alabaster said the one that was the most unbelievable. He was actually being… kind… as well as compliant. Edward just simply didn't know how to react.

And before he had the chance to completely process the information, it was his father's turn to ask a question.

"When are you planning on stopping by?"

"I… um…" he muttered, still trying to find the answer. "I mean… I-"

"Just give-" Alabaster began to talk in his normal loud tone, but stopped himself mid-sentence. He took another breath, barely audible over the sound of laughter in the cafe around Edward, then started again in that unfamiliar light fashion. "Take all the time you need. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

A spark of familiarity pulled his attention away from the phone and made his eyes train on Charles who was watching the whole ordeal from the seat across from Edward. Why was his father actively trying to be nice to him? The sudden kindness just didn't make sense. It was like his father was just toying with his emotions, which would be a new low for Alabaster.

_That has to be it,_  Edward determined. His free paw clenched.  _You're a real piece of work Alabaster._

After a couple of seconds he brought himself back to the topic at hand and forced the anger building inside him back down his throat. He took the bunched up paw and wrapped a couple of his fingers through the handle of his mug, then found an answer to his father's question.

"Tomorrow. I'll try to catch the first train over so we can get this done and over with. The train should arrive at Savannah Central around eight in the morning if I'm not mistaken."

"I think that'll work. That'll put you at around lunchtime when you get to the house."

"Yep," Edward drew out, rolling his eyes.

"While you're at it, maybe you could stay and have a meal with Lavender and me. It'll feel like old times again."

_Old times…_ Edward frowned. Did he mean it from his perspective, or from his son's?

The silver wolf shook his head. "I don't know... I've only got until Saturday to finish this story and I can't waste any time."

"It won't take that long. We're having salad and burgers. You're going to love it, and you can take my word for it."

"…I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising anything."

"That's all I can ask for," Alabaster persisted.

Edward's conflicting thoughts nearly pushed him to decline the offer. What he already knew from their conversation was that there was something off about Alabaster. Not only that, but his motives for bringing him back to the farm were almost entirely unknown. And on top of that, him coming back could potentially open up another can of worms that he hadn't touched for nearly eight years.

But, based off of that information, it wasn't enough to make that judgement call. Whether Alabaster's intentions were pure or not, he still had to make the trip. For the sake of their story, Edward had to take this chance, regardless of how he felt about the situation.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," the silver wolf said begrudgingly.

"You will indeed," his father gladly replied.

After a short string of good-byes Edward pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the red 'end call' button. He blankly stared at the screen for a short moment before Charles eventually pulled him out of his trance.

"So?" he asked Edward. "How did it go?"

The silver wolf placed his phone on the table and let out a sigh. "He agreed to meet tomorrow to answer some questions about our story," he started.

"…Why do I feel like there's a  _but_  to this?" Charles asked rhetorically.

" _But,_ " he emphasized, "he wants me to stay for lunch afterward."

The tiger raised a brow. "Why would he want to do that? I thought you and him weren't on speaking terms?"

"We aren't," he confirmed, "I'm still trying to figure that out. He sounded so… understanding over the phone, it was like he was actually attempting to be kind."

"That sounds too good to be true."

"My thoughts exactly."

Edward slouched back into his booth. He stared upward towards the ceiling and played the conversation over in his head, every sentence, every little detail that stuck out to him. Yet no matter how much he thought about the exact details, he still couldn't pinpoint a reason for Alabaster's strange friendliness.

"Well, there's only one way to find out why exactly he insists on having you over," Charles grinned as he brought his mug of coffee up to his lips. "Looks like you've got some packing to do."

"I wonder what Sharla would say," Edward mumbled as Charles took another short sip.

"She'll probably be just as suspicious as you are. I know I am. We both know better than any mammal how your father can be. I mean, who knows, this could very well be a blessing in disguise and we're just overanalyzing. For all we know his kindness could be genuine. I don't know what reason he could have to pull a full one-eighty, but it's still a possibility."

The wolf bit down the inside of his mouth. He could almost feel a growl beginning to rumble in his chest. He couldn't imagine the thought of that mammal so suddenly being kind after all that he did to him. Even if it were true, his actions were unforgivable. End of story.

Edward was starting to feel the after-effects of the topic, the long day of walking, and the emotional strife of talking about his father for the latter portion. And now, after hours of active work, he was beginning to grow tired of talking and thinking about life back on the farm or work for that matter.

Fortunately for the both of them, their waiter finally made it back to their table and placed their respective meals in front of them. Edward and Charles thanked the male hyena and unwrapped the silverware from their white cloth napkins.

Before they started eating Edward made one simple request to his friend, "If it's okay with you, can we not talk about my dad anymore, please? I've got a lot to think about after we leave here today and I'd rather not talk about him anymore than I have to."

Charles cracked a smile. "Fair enough," he agreed.

With that, chatter between them quieted down to a mere whisper as they dug into their food. Metal forks scraped across white ceramic, joining the chorus of other sharp sounds across the dining room. The two of them attempted to enjoy every bite as much as they could. For Charles, this was a fairly easy task. For Edward, the task seemed astronomical.

The whole conversation about his father left him with a sour taste in his mouth and nearly prevented him from enjoying his food. Inside, his mind was a flurry of different emotions that tempted to sway his mood to a more negative, depressing direction. He eventually managed to keep them in check by ignoring them for the time being. He couldn't wait to get back to his apartment and be in Sharla's embrace.

 

_**o o o** _

 

The snow-white wolf pulled the home phone away from his ear and clutched it inside a paw. He looked around the space of the living room and stared at the various family photos scattered around. He couldn't help but feel this strange tension building inside of him.

He hadn't expected his youngest son to call back home after so many years, let alone the attempt to visit. Back then he wouldn't have paid no mind to it. It was normal at that point for the runt of his litter-or rather, any one of this litter-to branch out away from home and chase their dreams. Kids often trail back home to check up on their parents after a while out on their own. But, with Edward's case, that might not be so easy for him.

Was he doing the right thing by inviting him back to the homestead? If he were being completely honest with himself, he had no idea. What could he do? What would he say? These were only a few of the questions that he would have to think about in the hours to come.

For now, he would prepare the house for his son's arrival.

_Better late than never_ , Alabaster thought to himself.

 

_**o o o** _

 

It had been a long day for the first rabbit officer of the ZPD. Judy had been walking around all day watching out for all signs of suspicious and unlawful activity on her patrol, leaving her legs abnormally tired. Could it be that she was just trying to mask the hurt and strain that she felt in her heart? Or was it just another hard day on the job? She couldn't believe for a minute that it was the latter.

Earlier that morning Chief Bogo had assigned her to patrol Savannah Central and keep watch on the protests that had popped up inside the park, a constant reminder of what her words did to the city of Zootopia and the civilians that inhabit it. On top of that, she'd have to make her rounds through downtown and check up on the mammal known as Emmitt Otterton, one of the few she found last Sunday that had gone 'savage.'

At the end of the day, she had only managed to make two arrests, which in her eyes was pretty good considering the unrest surrounding predators since her briefing. That being said, it was a short day for the rabbit officer. She shouldn't have been as tired as she was.

All Judy could manage to do was shake her head and take the day in stride. This was only her, what, second real day on the job? She knew full well that police work wasn't going to be this wild adventure full of mystery and action; it was full of watching and waiting for the right opportunity. In the words of Chief Bogo himself, she needed to let this go.

But, she had to admit, it was a lonely day without the fox-her friend-keeping her company. She could properly say that she might've actually missed his sly charm and incredible wit. Nicholas Wilde was one of a kind. He could have made one heck of an officer. Yet she had the gall to be so single-minded after everything he did for her and that case.

Why would she ever push him away like that? She was insensitive not just to Nick, but to every predator in Zootopia. And she would be lying if she said it wasn't eating away at her.

No one deserved this much hate because of who they were. Judy knew this as well as any other mammal. After all, she held the title of the 'first rabbit officer in the Zootopia Police Department.' She had to fight like mad to get where she was, had to overcome obstacles that were nearly ten times her size. She even fought a rhino to achieve her goal. But for what? Look at what she'd done to the city. She broke it and she had no idea how to put it back together.

"Maybe I should just get some sleep," Judy compromised with herself. She'd figure this problem out eventually. There was still hope, and that's all she could ask for.

Judy stepped onto the pink welcome mat she had bought nearly a week ago and dug out the key to her apartment from one of pouches on her utility belt. Without hesitation, she managed to stick the key into the lock on the doorknob and gave it a good twist, unlocking the door with a satisfying  _clunk._

With the doorknob still twisted in paw she pushed on the door, allowing it to slowly swing open to reveal her still lightly decorated apartment.

_Home sweet home,_ she thought to herself.

She trudged inside and shut the door behind her. She made it to the desk in the far corner of the room, setting down the phone and notebook she still had in her other paw. After giving a little stretch, she wiggled out of her police uniform and hopped into a comfy pair of black pyjamas and a pastel yellow t-shirt. She slipped onto the twin-sized bed along with her phone, pulling a blanket over her torso. When she got settled in she went ahead and began her last tasks for the day.

Firstly, she checked the emails in her Zmail inbox to make sure that she hadn't missed anything crucially important. Fortunately for her, this only included emails about the next upcoming Carrot Days Festival next month, some hundreds of emails from her siblings and parents back on the farm, and the usual amounts of spam and offers from online stores and other miscellaneous companies that strived to obtain precious personal information.

Secondly, Judy checked her social media accounts and scrolled through the recent events plastered on her news feed. It only took her a couple of seconds to abandon the task completely once she saw the plethora of articles and videos surrounding the topic of predator and prey, the savage attacks and the conference that she took part in only days ago. Judy felt bad enough on her own already. She didn't need some reporter or some news anchor to remind her of that. She was seeing enough of it through her own eyes and her job, and by her clock she wasn't due for another rehash until later on tomorrow afternoon.

Lastly, she made an effort to check the voicemail text messages she'd received while on the beat today. Some were, again, directly from some of her siblings back on the farm, and others from both Bonnie and Stu. They were filled with questions such as 'how's work,' 'are you making the world a better place,' 'are you staying safe,' the usual protective parent rhetoric. But the questions that caught her attention were ones that dabbled into her personal life. 'Have you made any friends yet,' and from her mother, 'have you met any cute boys yet.' The second one managed to get a laugh out of her. The first one, however, stuck with her.

Judy frowned. She  _had_ a friend, but she managed to push him away so far he might as well be on another continent entirely.

To them, she simply replied that everything was going well, and that she was living her dream, most of which was a flat-out lie. She was almost thankful that her parents rarely watched news channels like ZNN. They would definitely be up her tail about it if they saw the latest headlines.

But then again, she had a family of over two-hundred fifty siblings. Word spread like wildfire in her home. If there was even a  _smidgen_ of gossip in her home, everyone would be in the know before lunch. So, what if they were in the know? This was ZNN. Someone in her family had to be in the know. This was news junkie gold. This could very well mean that her parents would know by word of mouth. And if they knew about it, how could she explain herself? How would they react? That thought scared the dickens out of her.

She let out a breath and closed her eyes, allowing her arms to lazily fall to her sides.  _How am I going to fix this?_ she wondered.

Before she could find an answer to that specific question, her iCarrot buzzed and rang about on the palm of her paw. The sheer unexpectedness of it nearly gave her a heart attack. When she calmed back down she decided to look at whoever decided to disturb her moment of what she could consider for her sake 'peace.'

Amethyst eyes and a twitching nose stared down the number on the screen and the contact assigned to it, her name listed above the number in thin serif font. Then she went bug-eyed. She read over the name a couple more times to make sure it was correct. The confirmation allowed the corners of her mouth to form into a small smile. She remembered that name.

It was none other than one of her friends from the Burrows. The young aspiring astronaut, Sharla Mcdewegell.


	8. The First Step

“Hello?” the voice rumbled through the speaker of Sharla's phone.

Sharla could feel the giddiness starting to swell in her heart. Even after years without any form of communication, she was sure. With just one word uttered, she was certain that this was indeed her voice, Judy’s voice, on the other end of the phone call, but Sharla didn't hesitate to be absolutely certain that it was really her.

“Hi, is this Judy? Judy Hopps?”

An audible chuckle sounded in her right ear. “Is this the astronaut speaking?”

The ewe cracked a smile. It was her alright.

“Hey Judy.”

“Hi Sharla.”

“It’s been awhile since I've seen that enthusiastic rabbit from the Burrows,” Sharla smiled. “How are things? I’ve heard that you landed a position in the ZPD. Congrats by the way!”

“Thanks. I’m doing fine for the most part,” Judy hesitantly spoke with a sigh to follow. “Work is keeping me incredibly busy. I can’t remember the last time I had time to relax.”

“Sounds like a pawful,” Sharla admitted.

“It really is,” Judy agreed, followed by a giggle. “You should see how much patrolling I’ve had to do already.”

“Gross.”

“Then the paperwork…”

“Ew, just stop. I'm gonna throw up.”

The two mammals shared a laugh. It felt good, great even. Not only that, it felt like old times, back when they were kids, back when things were simple.

After fumbling with her phone, audibly heard over the speaker next to Sharla’s ear, it was Judy’s turn to ask some questions herself. “So, how are you doing, Sharla? Did you ever become an astronaut like you dreamed?” She let out a gasp. “Are you calling me from space right now?”

The ewe chuckled at her friend's reaction and rolled her eyes. “I wish. But, overall, things are going pretty well. Unfortunately, I didn't become an astronaut like I hoped for when I was younger. _But_ , I did manage to land a position as a lead engineer at MASA.”

The joyful shriek that came afterwards would have blown out her eardrum if she hadn't pulled the phone away. When the noise finally ceased, Sharla pulled the device back to her ear.

“That's so cool!” Judy gleamed.

Sharla blushed. “Thanks, Jude. Not gonna lie, it took a lot to get here. It may not be up in space like I dreamed, but I'll take this as a close second for sure.”

Sharla waited for her friend to respond, and walked over to the mini-fridge to the left of the couch. When the door was pulled open, the inside revealed only a few bottles of water and a couple of sodas. The lack of options forced a huff out of her nose. While she made a mental note to go out shopping sometime soon, she pulled out one of the bottles of water and cracked it open. The time to herself made her think about the friendship between her and the rabbit officer. She smiled.

_We seriously don’t know a lot about each other,_ the thought curiously pricked her brain.

Since the beginning of their high school careers, they had been forced to distance themselves from each other. The way that the high school placed students in classes differed from the elementary and middle schools they went to. Based on their GPA and skill level, they were placed in separate classes, both in sections of their school. Even after they attempted to connect and hang out, they had signed up for after school functions and clubs that kept them at least two to three hours past their final class for the day. They had no time to talk with one another, no time to catch up, and eventually at some point between the summer of their freshman year and the winter break of their sophomore year, their communication had stopped all together.

Time passed, years seemed to fly by, and they found themselves the time to talk amidst the beginning of their graduation ceremony. Judy was the valedictorian, of course. Sharla was incredibly close to achieving that rank, but found herself a few points off on one of her exams. Though, Sharla didn't mind in the slightest. She made the decision that she would comfort Edward and be with him while he struggled to deal with some problems back at home, and her score reflected it. She loved him, and both of their happiness came before some silly test. Besides, she was confident enough in her ability in that specific course that it wouldn't matter. And it turned out that even without that small title, she was able to nab a full ride to Central Zootopia University, along with her future husband.

After their high school graduation ceremony, she tried again to talk with Judy, only able to speak with her for a short moment. Sharla promised then that they would catch up after they were done with the event. But, she never found the time to make the call. After that, she had to help her mate speak with his parents about him moving out of the family home—reviving some hostility from his father, brother, and sister—and transitioning into the college lifestyle. While they lived in their quaint little college apartment during that time of studying, living, and of course loving, she eventually forgot about the rabbit and the promise she made that day.

Until earlier that morning, that is.

With the revelation that Judy had her own place at the Grand Pangolin Arms, Sharla was determined to do everything in her power to mend the friendship she had so callously pushed to the sidelines. To her, graduation seemed like a great place to start. She took a sip of her water.

“Hey, Judy,” she started, “I wanted to apologize for not giving you a call sooner. I should have followed up after graduation. It kinda slipped past my radar.”

“Something slipping past _you?_ That’s a first.”

“Says the rabbit who lives and breathes pure determination.”

“Touché,” Judy’s coy voice chimed. “But, I totally understand Sharla. Life gets in the way. It’s okay.”

“I’m afraid that’s not true Judy,” Sharla apologetically dismissed. “I made a promise that I would get back with you back at graduation, and I didn't keep it. That’s on me. But, I think I know the perfect solution.”

“Oh? Due tell.”

“Well, if you aren’t too busy running around and filling out forms, we should catch some lunch together tomorrow.”

“...Tomorrow?” Judy hesitantly questioned.

“Tomorrow,” Sharla confirmed, taking another swig of the water bottle in her grip before placing it on top of the dresser. Inside her head, she was silently praying that the timing of her request wasn’t too bad.

Based on what she heard, it seemed that Judy was continuing to work hard for her dreams, even after becoming the first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department. She didn’t want to be imposing. If they had to do it later, whether it be a couple of days, week, or even a month from now, she wouldn’t mind the slightest bit. She was dead set on this.

Sharla waited patiently for her friend to give her some kind of reply as she walked back to the couch and sat down at one end. She looked outward through the open window towards the dazzling city skyline. The sun was just setting on the horizon, creating a wonderful setting full of color and charm.

After a few more seconds of silence, Sharla became impatient and took it upon herself to clarify the terms of their meetup.

“It doesn’t have to be tomorrow if you can’t make it then—”

“Oh! No, no, I was just trying to think of my schedule for a minute. Sorry.”

“Take your time Jude,” Sharla insisted. “There’s no rush on this.”

“Okay,” came the quiet reply.

While she left Judy to mull it over, behind her came a variety of different noises, causing her to turn around in surprise and bring the phone in her grip to her chest. These noises consisted of the normal unlocking of their apartment door, the sound of the metal knob turning, and the loud creaks that followed as the door slowly swung open. And from that noise came the wolf that shared the apartment with her, the wolf of her dreams, the love of her life.

A loving smile cast itself on her snout and she aimed it at Edward, who had just turned towards her. He looked noticeably tired. The wolf flashed a weak grin her way and ambled over to her. A soft kiss planted itself on the side of Sharla’s face.

“Hey hon,” Sharla spoke softly.

“Hey Shar,” Edward replied, the light accent of a frown noticeably present on his muzzle.

The ewe brought the phone back up to her ear and waited patiently for her friend’s voice while Edward slowly planted himself on the far end of the sofa. After a few moments, Judy eventually spoke.

“I can do tomorrow.”

Sharla smiled. “Great! I can't wait to see you again, Jude. We can text later about where we want to go. I've got to go.”

“Aww, but I thought we could talk some more,” the rabbit sulked.

“I know, I know. We can save the juicy stuff for tomorrow.”

The ewe took on a mischievous grin. If she were leaving for the time being, the least Sharla could do was leave her with something to think about. This was going to be good.

“My husband just came in and I wanted to cuddle up with him for a bit.”

Judy gasped, “Wait… you're _married_?”

Sharla cackled before taking on an innocent tone. “Maybe.”

“W-wow, congratulations! You totally have to give me the details when we meet up.”

Out of the corner of Sharla's eye, Edward stared at her with a shocked look. She wasn’t shocked to find that he’d picked up on the conversation with his wolf hearing, she’d come to expect it even—not that it was inherently a bad thing. It was obvious that he didn't like the idea of disclosing their marriage to another mammal. Under normal circumstances, she would agree with him, even if she herself was ready for the step.

Instead, she put on another smile and agreed. “Of course. I'll talk to you later, Jude. It was nice talking to you again.”

“You too Sharla. Bye!”

The ewe ended the call with a tap of her hoof and let out a sigh. _It's settled then,_ the thought echoed.

Sharla turned her head to the wolf sitting beside her, the stark look of emptiness on his face nearly making her regret even mentioning the marriage over the phone.

Nearly.

Judy was Sharla’s best friend. She couldn't just conceal the fact that she was married from her. She would have wanted to know. Besides, the ring on her finger would have given it away anyway, and it wasn't like she was going to take it off anytime soon. She loved Edward. She didn't care about what other mammals thought about her or the bond she shared with her wolf.

However, Edward didn't share the same mindset as her. He was afraid. Afraid of the ridicule, the backlash, the pain that came along with their relationship. And she of all mammals understood why he didn't want to take the step yet. Interspecies relationships were still deemed as ‘unnatural’ and ‘disgusting’ to other mammals.

In his eyes, he felt that he wasn't strong enough to deal with that kind pressure.

In her eyes, she saw the complete opposite. What she saw was someone who overcame tremendous opposition and hate, and flourished because of it. He was a strong mammal. If only he could see the same thing within himself...

_If only,_ she thought.

For now, she would continue to support him and help him in whatever way she could. A problem such as this would require tackling it one step at a time. It was a good thing that Sharla had a lot of patience, as well as admiration for her husband.

Sharla placed her hoof onto Edward's paw, gaining the attention of the wolf as his head slowly turned to her.

She smiled. “Sorry about that, hon. I know that we're not ready to make ourselves known to everyone just yet, but I think—”

“You don't have to sugarcoat it, Shar,” Edward muttered. He hunched forward and brought his head low, his eyes cast onto the wooden floor. “ _I'm_ not ready yet. If I didn't insist on keeping our relationship on the downlow… if I wasn't so afraid of everything…” He paused, a barely audible whine escaping his throat as he sighed. He shook his head. “Then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.”

The two mammals sat together in silence, the ewe looking at her love with a frown. The sounds of the city quietly murmured through the open window and the paper thin walls of their apartment, while Sharla thought about what exactly to say that would lift her husband’s spirits.

Then, she got an idea.

Sharla hopped off of the couch and took his paws into her hoofs. She stared at him closely, taking in all of those lovely features of his, and watched him get lost in his own thoughts. She traced the fur on the tops of his paws with her hoof.

“You know what I see when I look at you?” she asked the wolf lightly.

With no other response other than a flick of his ear she could see out of the corner of her eye, she let go of his paw and cupped the side of his face, gently moving him until those dazzling cobalt eyes met with her own.

Sharla gave him a warm grin. “What I see is a loving, caring, compassionate mammal who always puts others before himself. He’s also kind, good, and also one of the strongest mammals that I’ve ever come across. And sure, he doesn’t seem to have much in terms physical strength, but in terms of mental strength and will, no one could compare. On top of that he’s awkward, nervous, funny, cute, and most importantly…”

A tender kiss brought both predator and prey together. Sharla could feel the wolf tense up at the moment of contact, then slowly began to relax into the kiss. When they separated, the ewe looked upon Edward's blushing face with a smile.

“Mine. This mammal’s name is Edward Snow, the love of my life. My mate. My other half. My _husband_. If mammals can't see just how wonderful you really are because of who you love, then they shouldn't meddle around in your life to begin with. And even if the world gives us hell, I will always be there for you.”

Another peck planted itself on the side of Edward's snout. Sharla hopped back up onto the couch and nestled into a spot next to the wolf.

“Who knows,” she continued as her eyes began to close, feeling the wave of fatigue consume her, “maybe one day we won't have to worry about making our relationship a secret. But for now, we should both tackle it at our own pace and take it one step at a time.”

Sharla felt the weight of Edward’s head fall down onto the black floof atop her head. She let out a content sigh. The ambient sound of the cityscape filling the apartment, the quiet noise of their television set—which she didn’t notice was turned on in the first place—and lastly, the soft beating of the wolf’s heart thumping rhythmically in her ear completed this blissful picture and put her at ease.

“Do you think talking with Judy would be one of those steps?” Edward mumbled.

“Absolutely,” came Sharla’s instantaneous reply.

Without moving her head, her eyes looked up in his direction, just catching the glint of his features. She could tell clearly that something else was on his mind.

"There's something else, you're wondering, isn't there?"

The question hung in the air for a moment when Edward failed to respond right away, but thankfully, he managed to find an answer.

“Are you sure we can trust her?”

A brow raised and Sharla lifted herself from the comfort of her wolf, giving him a puzzled glance.

“Of course I do. She’s one of my best friends, Ed,” she spoke confidently.

“I know… but with everything that’s happened… and then the news conference—”

“You think that she’s going to talk.”

They locked gazes with each other as the statement hung in the air. She could feel the beginnings of an argument. Tension between them was getting high. Judy was a good mammal. There was no way that she would willingly do that to any mammal. It just wasn’t who she was. To say that Judy wasn’t trustworthy would be like saying the world wasn’t round.

However, the statement soon found an answer just as before, thankfully before things became close to a small feud—a rare occasion between the two of them.

“Yes,” came Edward’s hushed reply.

“Edward,” she began, keeping her irritation on the sidelines for the moment as she cooly explained her case. “Judy is one of the most trusting, loving, coolest mammals that I’ve ever known. She wouldn’t just stomp over another mammal, and she definitely wouldn’t go around blabbing off huge secrets like some jerk. She of all mammals knows how it feels to be biased and made fun of because of who she was. I mean, look at where she is and who she works for. She’s the first rabbit officer of Zootopia. I can’t imagine how many times she could’ve been told to just give that dream up. I know for a fact that she would understand. She would help us, Ed. I know it. You just need to trust in her, please. She’ll do the right thing.”

“Trust her? I barely even know her, Shar. I didn’t grow up with her like you did. She could be biased against interspecies couples for all I know. Plus, how can I trust Judy after she pretty much labeled all the predators in Zootopia as ‘savage?’ Just yesterday Charles got tripped and spilled coffee on himself because of what she said. Then on my way home, I saw a couple groups of mammals give both me and Charles some pretty weird looks and even called us ‘savages.’ Tension in the city has never been this bad. Only back at home have I ever felt as scared as I am now.”

Edward let out a shaky, nervous sigh as his right leg bobbed up and down, and his arms crossed tight against his body. He looked cold. Sharla could even feel the anxiousness shaking his very vocal cords as he spoke.

“I can’t help but wonder if I’ll turn into one of those… things… a savage. It’s eating away at me, Sharla. Like, what if I turn and do something awful? I couldn’t live with myself if I managed to hurt you in any way.”

“Edward,” Sharla whispered to herself.

She watched as Edward lowered his gaze back down onto the floor. It seemed that he shared her own fear after all. Sharla couldn’t quite imagine the magnitude of being a predator in this situation. Coupled with the weight of his job as well as his mother’s passing—which was only two weeks ago today—she could tell that Edward was struggling to cope with it all. Sharla wanted desperately to help him. She wanted to save him from the pain. Charolete was such a polarizing figure throughout his life. She was the one who pushed him to strive to be a writer in the first place, the one who believed and fought for him, who taught him every step of the way. If only she could do more to help Edward through this.

The remainder of her thoughts swayed towards Judy. It had been so long since they’d seen each other; there was plenty of reason, and now evidence, to conclude that Judy might in fact be biased. What if she were? It would be a shame to lose a close friend like that.

Sharla shrugged, putting her thoughts into words. “If she turns out to be that way, then so be it. I can’t force her to change, and I won’t hate her if she’s like that face to face, if anything I just won’t talk with her afterwards. But, I still feel like we need to take this step. We can’t just stay in the dark forever. Sooner or later someone is going to find out, and then we’re going to have another problem just dealing with all of that backlash.” Sharla noticed her husband’s eyes shoot up for a moment, then away from her as his ears pushed to the back of his skull. “We might as well just start to lay the framework for it.”

“I guess we should,” the wolf mumbled. Another sigh pushed through his muzzle.

The two of them sat in silence on opposite ends of their sofa while the television screen began a rerun of one of their favorite movies. While blue lines of light outlined what looked like a circuit board, Sharla frowned, uninterested in the film. _Okay, maybe it's time to change gears for a bit,_ she thought. _Mentioning Judy isn't helping at all, it's just making him feel worse._

_“The Grid… a digital frontier…”_ the T.V. spoke.

“Hey babe—” Sharla attempted to begin.

“I think I'm just…” Edward interrupted, then went bug-eyed when he caught what he did, “Sorry, I cut you off.”

“No, no, it's fine, please. Continue,” the ewe insisted with a smile.

“Sorry,” he repeated. “...I think I'm going to go take a shower. It's been a long day and I think the water might help me relax a little bit.”

“That’s fine, hon. Do whatever you need to do to take your mind off of things.”

The wolf scooted off of the couch and gave Sharla a quick peck before grabbing a towel and the blow-dryer from the dresser. Sharla went back to watching the show playing on the television and Edward went to answering a text that pinged in his pocket. After a couple of seconds, he stuffed the device back into his pocket and, with a wave, stepped out of their room and headed towards the community lavatory, shutting the door gently behind him.

Sharla stared at the rough finish of the door for a moment, then got lost in thought as her gaze looked off towards the city. It didn't take long for her curiosity to take over, and soon enough she pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed the number to Charles’s phone number. The phone rang a handful of times before she finally got through.

“Hello?” his deep voice rattled through the speaker.

“Hey Charles, it's Sharla.”

“Hey Sharla! What's up?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Edward…”

“Why?” he asked with a hint of concern touching his voice. “What's wrong? Did he make it back there in one piece?”

The ewe laughed. “No, Edward’s fine. He just left to go take a shower.”

“And here I thought I was going to have to go on some adventure to find and rescue him. Unfortunate. But, I'm glad he's taking some time to unwind a little bit. He deserves that much after everything that's happened.”

“Seriously,” Sharla agreed.

“So, what's up?” The tiger repeated as metallic clanking chimed quietly in the background. “I'm sure you just didn't call up here to gossip.”

“I wish I was.” She let out a sigh and adjusted herself to where she was laying flat on the couch, her gaze cast towards the ceiling as she explained the reasoning for her phone call. “I wanted to ask if Edward was doing alright. He mentioned that you two were together this afternoon and I was wondering if you knew anything. He wasn't doing so hot when he came home.”

“He hasn't told you yet, has he?”

A brow raised, then she sat up with her back arched. “Tell me what?”

“He… _we_ were assigned a make or break story for this Sunday's headline. I can't share exactly what the story is or the details pertaining to it, but what I can tell you is that Edward is taking a little trip out of town… back to Bunnyburrow.”

Sharla went bug-eyed. “Back to the Burrows? You… you don't mean—”

“In order to get more information, he made the choice to head back home to ask his father some questions.”

“Are you serious?” She was shocked, dumbfounded even. “Why does he need to go back home, and why does he have to talk with his dad? Last time I checked, Alabaster was a flat-out jerkface who couldn't care less about Edward even if he tried.”

“I… can't tell you yet.” Charles sighed, “But, what I can tell you right now is that his father seemed… pleased that he was stopping by to visit.

“Why would he _want_ Edward to come over?”

“That's what we’re asking.”

Sharla’s attention wavered as her gaze transferred to the front door of the apartment. Edward couldn’t face Alabaster alone. She wasn’t sure if Edward could take the pain or distress it would inevitably cause, and she wouldn’t allow it.

“I’m going with him,” she decided.

Sharla got up from the couch and strode towards the closet pulling one of the drawstring bags from one of the hangers.

But before she could put anything inside, Charles’s next statement halted Sharla in her tracks. “I’m afraid that isn’t possible, Sharla.”

“What?” she perturbedly spoke. “Why not?”

“Because it isn’t what Edward wants.”

“What?” she repeated, softening her tone.

“Sharla, you know Edward better than I do. The reason he wants to go alone is because he needs to do this. In order to move forward with his life he needs to face Alabaster and get over the bad blood between them.”

“He wants to be strong,” she realized.

“Exactly. If you come with him, he’ll think that he would be dependent on the support to get him through. I know you want to help him with this, I really do. But, the best thing that you could do for him right now would be to just reassure and be there for him. He’s gonna need all the support he can get. ”

Though she wanted to deny it, she had to admit that Charles was right. The only way for Edward to move forward was to go alone. She didn’t like it. She didn’t like the plan, she didn’t like Alabaster, and she didn’t like the situation that Edward was being put in. But, for the sake of her husband, she was going to do the best she could to get him through this.

“Of course I’ll be there for him, Charles. I live with him after all.”

“That you do,” he chuckled. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’m meeting someone in a bit and I don’t want to be late.”

"Meeting with someone? At this time of ni--" The ewe smirked. “Charles Clawson, do you have a _date_?”

“Goodbye, Sharla.”

_Muttonchops,_ she thought. _Maybe I'll find out later_.

“See you later, Charlie.”

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Water flowed everywhere through Edward’s bare fur while he leaned against the wall, his paws supporting his weight as they held him up. His head was sunk low, water making its way to the tips of his ears and the front of his muzzle. He blankly watched the water hit the floor and flow in the direction of the drain. He was lost in thought. Well, doubt to be more precise.

Was keeping Sharla out of the loop about the article, the safety of his job, the meeting with Alabaster, a good idea? He didn’t like keeping secrets from Sharla. Not when they concerned something as important as the financial stability of their lives, or Edward’s own mental health. Charles would tell Edward any day of the week that keeping this from his wife was a terrible idea. Yet, he kept the information hidden from her anyways. He felt terrible about it.

As soon as their task became manageable, he would bring her back into the loop. Though, he'd have to be careful. The more time that he'd spend keeping the information away from Sharla, the harder it would be to maintain that trust. He just hoped that he was making the right call. It felt wrong. It was wrong.

Edward eventually pushed off from the wall and looked toward the ceiling, his paw rubbing the tension built upon the back of his neck.

He turned around to face the curtain that separated him from the rest of the community bathroom, only to find a  certain black sheep maneuvering inside of his stall. If he didn't realize that it was Sharla, he would have certainly had a panic attack.

Sharla placed her towel, pajamas, and shampoos—both hers and Edward's, which he laughably forgot to bring with him—onto the table in the back corner. She stripped down to nothing but skin and wool, and slowly stepped on over towards him. Edward's ears were flat against his head and his gaze was sullen, no thanks to his prior guilt; he couldn't even look at her. He was ashamed.

Sharla stopped in front of him, and took in his silver fur. She placed a hoof on his chest, and came in close, her head resting just over his heart as water began to soak into the thick black wool on the top of her head.

“You should have told me about the trip back to the farm.”

The wolf's eyes grew wide, then returned to their normal size. She knew about the meeting. The jig was up, not that he was surprised. It seemed that Charles didn't keep the article a secret after all. Edward let out a sigh, then wrapped his arms around her, taking in her embrace. “Sharla, I—”

“Look, I don't know what kind of story you need to write that’s forcing you to go back to Alabaster, but I'm sure it's important enough to take that strife.” She looked up and pushed lightly on Edward's muzzle so that their eyes could meet. “If you need to talk about it, I'm right here. I love you Edward. Nothing will ever change that.”

“I—” He paused, a stray thought about dismissing the offer, then abandoned the idea entirely. She still didn't know about the smaller details pertaining to why and what the ramifications would be. Charles didn't rat him out. That piece of knowledge put him a little at ease.

The corner of his mouth twitched into a tiny grin, his ears starting to raise a bit when he said softly, “I love you too, Sharla.”

The two stared into each other's eyes. Time suddenly seemed to stand still. The awkwardness and tension he felt just moments ago took a dynamic turn as his heart began to flutter. Edward took in every detail he could; the small pin-sized hint of brown on her left eye, the lavishness of her thick black wool, her warm smile, every inch of her face seemed like heaven. He cupped her cheek with his paw, and flashed her a grin. A blush consumed her face as she turned away for a moment, a small giggle popping in the small space of the shower, then looked back at him, covering the paw on her face with her hoof.

Their gazes then softened. Another few seconds passed. Then, they pulled slowly into a chaste kiss under the warm embrace of the shower. Edward pulled his ewe close, a few satisfied groans audibly filling their throats. Sharla’s arms dangled atop Edward's shoulders from the height difference while Edward rested his paws on Sharla's hips. It was as if she had completely melted into him.

Another kiss soon followed, Edward's tongue slipping inside of her mouth, getting a taste of his ewe as she similarly stuck her tongue into his. A light bleat resonated from his wife's throat. He could practically smell the excitement from her.

They finally parted, a trail of saliva trailing from both their lips as they looked into each other's eyes, only to be broken apart by a stray droplet of water. They were both breathless. A sharp exhale left Edward's muzzle. She smelt incredible. Sharla looked down at Edward's midsection to observe in reverence what she felt when they pressed up against each other. A vixenish grin grew on her snout. She looked up and shot a sultry stare at him while grabbing it.

“Let me show you how much I love you.”

After that, time seemed to slip through their fingers. Their relaxing shower turned into a nearly two hour escapade. For Edward, to not care about the world and it's troubles as well as his insecurities felt wonderful, liberating even. They finally had time to themselves.

Finally, to top it all off, they were in an extremely public area. If anyone were to walk in they would have been found out for sure. But, what most surprised the wolf was that he didn't seem to care about that. With Sharla with him, everything felt alright.

With a little freshening up and a relaxing blow-dry later, they walked hoof in paw back over to their apartment. Once Edward was fully packed and ready to venture back to the farm, they spent the rest of the night in their bed on their phones as they silently cuddled the night away, happiness draped over their minds like an aura as it helped them find the peace to finally sleep.

The next morning, Edward and Sharla awoke to the sound of knocking at the front door of the apartment, the groggy couple moaning and groaning in response to their rude awakening.

Edward was the one to haphazardly stumble out of the comfort of their bed and stroll on over to the door. He unlocked the latch above the doorknob and opened the door to reveal a blinding light and a familiar well-dressed tiger.

The wolf rubbed his tired eyes and leaned against the door. He yawned, just barely recognizing the figure before him as he tried to unblur his vision. “Good morning, Charlie.”

“Um, good morning Ed,” he cackled. “So, uh, did you have a good sleep last night? I think this guy ' _wood_ ' think so.”

Edward looked to where his friend was gesturing and realized that he was dressed in only his boxer shorts. What made matters worse, however, was the severe case of morning wood bulging from his shorts that caused his entire face to go beet red.

“Shit.”

The wolf slammed the door shut and quickly got around to getting dressed amidst Charles’s deep muffled laughing.

“It's not like I haven't seen it before Ed,” Charles laughed through the door. “No reason to be embarrassed. It's only natural.”

“He's right you know,” Sharla mumbled lustfully from their bed, a smile aimed at his direction as he moved about.

Edward didn't dare reply. Instead, he focused all of his efforts and energy on getting himself completely ready for the train ride to Bunnyburrow. Once he had gotten dressed and grabbed his bag of clothing and the essentials for his trip—his keys, some musk mask, a phone charger, and other various office supplies that he would need to take field notes—he kissed his wife goodbye and scurried out the door and down the hall, unable to look his friend in the eye as he heard Charles struggling to keep up with the wolf.

It was a short walk to Savannah Central. Even with their unscheduled pit stop for a couple cups of Tim Horkin’s coffee, they didn't run into the normal workday foot traffic they normally faced on their way into the office. Edward wondered if him waking up near seven o'clock played into why, but he didn't question it further than that, mainly because it didn't matter all that much to him.

Walking into Savannah Central Station yielded the same empty presence as on the streets. Nearly all the mammals leaving the station had already left and were bound for their respective stops, while the remaining animals scurried around the platforms and main floor. Edward almost missed the hustle and bustle.

Edward went ahead and grabbed his ticket from the ticket window and strolled down the escalator with Charles. The two of them waited quietly on the station platform for the train to arrive while trains on the first and last tracks continued to drop off and pick up their riders.

Edward pulled his phone out to check the time. _It's 8:54_ , the thought fluttered attentively in his head. It was nearing nine o'clock.

He silently wished that the train would arrive on time. Waiting on the platform was killing him as well as his confidence, nothing to think about other than what lied ahead of him, the question of what would happen if he were late to this meeting with his father prodded around in his head. After that, it became a rapid downward spiral. He started to doubt that Alabaster wanted to see at all if he managed to not arrive on time, and then how his father would likely scold him upon his arrival.

Before he could delve further than that, his ears perked up, picking up on a sharp metallic sound.

“Looks like the train’s here,” Charles commented. “Right on time.”

The train pulled up to the station, came to a slow stop and opened its doors. Several passengers strolled out of the train cars and past the wolf and tiger standing in the middle of the platform.

Edward sighed. It was time.

“Looks like it's time to go,” the wolf said.

“Looks like it is.” With a nod, Edward turned to leave. “I'll continue getting some more information while you're away,” Charles continued, gaining Edward's attention before he stepped onto the train. “By the way, I've got another interview lined up for this afternoon, so if you need to call me, just make sure you do it before two o'clock. Shouldn't take more than two hours.”

“Sure.”

A horn filled the room with sound, signaling the passengers bound for the Burrows that it was nearly time to go. Edward looked towards the tiger who was giving him a thumbs up. “Good luck, Ed.”

“Thanks,” he hesitantly smiled back, returning a thumbs up of his own. “I'll call you later.”

The tiger smiled and nodded, then turned towards the escalators while Edward stepped onto the train car, finding a spot in the middle of the row of seating along the wall. Once he got situated he removed the backpack strapped around him and placed it onto the seat next to him. Not long after that, another blast of the train horn sounded and the doors to the car closed before the train finally left the station.

_No turning back now,_ Edward sighed.

It didn't take long for the train to reach the bridge that stood atop the Zootopian Bay near the beaches of Sahara Square, and Edward watched as the city moved further and further away. A happy memory of he and his wife's move to the city filled his mind before a yawn began to push him towards sleep. He went ahead and set an alarm on his phone for two hours later and dozed off, hoping for the best of luck when he made it back to the Burrows.

For the most part, he felt ready. And though his confidence wasn't nearly at what it should be, it was about time to face whatever lied ahead of him. For better or for worse.


	9. Double-take

“After you finish up with the interview, Charles, I'll send you the rest of what I've got so far,” Anders spoke into his wireless headset.

The pig tapped away at the keyboard in front of him, inputting more data onto the digital spreadsheet on his left monitor. This document was the list of the predators who had gone savage up to now. So far the list had covered all the original missing mammals before former Mayor Lionheart’s arrest, and six additional mammals who had turned afterward.

“Sounds good Andy,” Charles spoke. “I'll be sure to try and compile the information myself when I get back home. With that interview about four hours from now, I should be able to get a bit more sleep before then.”

“I wish I had that luxury.”

“I don't blame you.”

Anders felt only a slight bit of jealousy that his colleague wasn't bound to the building as he was. He wasn't the type of mammal to move around all the time. The comment was simply meant to move conversation. Anders was quite comfortable where he was. Gathering information and editing other coworkers’ articles for the paper was a thrilling experience in and of itself—and whether that statement held a tad bit of sarcasm was up for debate. Besides, how else was he to assuage his childlike glee when nothing compared? Life was good.

Anders shuffled around in his chair and pushed back into a lounging position. He looked towards the ceiling. A thought of Edward poked his curiosity.

“So, where did Edward go exactly?” he asked into his headset. “I know he was supposed to take a trip back to the Burrows today to get some information for the story, but you never said where exactly he's going or who he’s interviewing.”

“Edward’s...” Charles’s voice trailed off. “Edward is going back to his old home.”

Anders waited for something else to follow, but when nothing did, his brow raised, brown eyes staring curiously at the ceiling, unimpressed.

“That's it? Is he going anywhere else besides there?”

“Nope, that's his only stop as far as I know.”

The pig crossed his arms and contemplated for a second. He let out a sigh. “Okay then… May I ask who exactly he plans on interviewing for the story?”

“He’s… meeting with his father. Apparently there’s something that might be of use to us for the story.

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Out of all the mammals in the Burrows—all 81 million of them that could help you with the story—you're going to focus on just _one_ of those mammals?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Anders repeated.

“Well, we wanted to focus on Edward's father because he's a reliable source, plus he may have some info that may be of use to us.”

“Yeah, I get that. That’s all well and good, but there’s a slight problem with this plan: we only focus on one mammal for information, Horn is going to catch you guys on it. Period.” The pig’s dark hooves pinched the pink bridge of his nose. “This is writing one-oh-one, Charlie. If you don’t have sources, no one is going to believe you, and if no one believes you, your story will flop, and if your story flops—”

“We’re out of a job.”

“Bingo. Bottom line, if we don’t have credible intel or if we have too few sources to go off of, then this story is going to fail, guaranteed. So, if you want to avoid that, here’s something you can try: Start with a general group of mammals that fit the bill with whatever information you’re trying to gather, then you’ll have a nice pool of notes to go off of and, more importantly, more sources to use later on, just in case. If you find anything worth noting, do more research on the Internet and see what you can find. Doesn’t hurt to check something that’s always at your hoof-tips.”

“Absolutely,” Charles agreed. “I’m pretty sure Edward already knows what he’s doing with gathering information. _I’m_ the one who didn’t attend college like that. I’m still learning even after a year of field work.”

“Stuff like this takes time, Charles. You’ll get the hang of it eventually.”

“Hopefully,” Charles uttered, his reply gaining a light chuckle from Anders before the tiger continued. “Listen, I’m gonna head back to my apartment to get some sleep, I’ll text Edward about getting more sources in a minute.”

“Sounds good, Charlie. Go on and get some rest. The file for the predators should be waiting in your inbox within the next hour or two.”

“Perfect. Talk to you later, Andy.”

“Have a good one Charles. Happy hunting.”

Anders sat back up straight in his office chair and ended the call, lifting and placing back the office phone sitting on its base.

He looked at the spreadsheet on his screen and glossed over the information inputted so far. He was pleased with the current progress. Getting the information for each mammal was surprisingly easy if you knew where to look, and for some, it was as if their lives were an open book.

Take Emmitt Otterton for instance. Middle-aged mammal, a couple kids and a happy stay-at-home housewife, a popular and well-known business owner in a prime location; the tweets, articles, and reviews said it all.

Then there was that reporter for ZNN who got hit just after the news conference was broadcast to the citizens of Zootopia: Justin Brown. Fairly average bear, landed a job for ZNN fresh out of college, adamant, determined, high scores on all of his classes. He also made the front page of his college newspaper three times in one year, and achieved second place in a writing competition a few years back. Based on his skill level and love for reporting, it was an obvious choice that ZNN would snatch him up. If it weren't for the incident, he could have made it big.

These mammals, these predators, were normal functioning mammals that wished to excel in this prey-dominated city. A handful of them managed to achieve what they wanted, while others can only just barely reach it.

However, deep down and way past their evolved ways, these predators were still animals, and everyone knew it. According to information currently known to the public, there was still a lot more to learn about how and why predators in Zootopia were going savage. Anyone's best guess was that it had to do with biology, or even some kind of trigger that activated the ancestral part of themselves, locked away deep in their psyche.

 _If only there were some way to test it,_ Anders thought.

Maybe if they knew more about it, they could come up with a way to counteract this change.

But, no matter. It was only a matter of time before the secrets of this issue would come to head. It was only a matter time before a solution was found. For now, this story that Charles and Edward were writing was the priority.

_“Gurrrrrr.”_

And then his stomach growled.

Anders swiveled his chair around in the direction of the kitchen. He could've sworn that he saw someone had brought donuts in for the floor, but he wasn't sure. He was so stuck in a drowsy trance on the way over to his desk earlier that he didn't even register it completely.

“Won't hurt to double-check,” he spoke to no one in particular.

Anders went through his normal run down for leaving his desk—locking his computer, placing his headset onto the charging dock, and pushing in his chair—then made the trek over towards the center aisle. He said hello to various mammals that he had helped out in the past—George, Ferronica, and Bethany to name a few—all met with bright smiles, waves, and hellos.

Out of the corner of his eye, just as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he saw a mammal slip into the lion’s den. Horn’s office. He silently wished them the best of luck.

Stepping into the space of the kitchen found him staring at the surrounding space. A couple of mammals were standing over near the vending machines while another pumped coffee into one of the paper cups their company provided. He didn't really know the mammals there; perhaps their faces from the floor, office parties, and meetings, but surely not the mammals themselves personally.

He looked at the top of the center island with anticipation, hoping to see something appetizing that could adequately fill his stomach. The sight before him made him frown.

On the plus side, someone did bring food into the office. On the downside, it wasn't donuts like he thought—they were an assortment of bagels from the local bagel shop down the street, popular too. The problem wasn't that he didn't like bagels. He loved them, but he just didn't expect them. However, Anders wasn't going to be rude and waste perfectly good food; he was raised better than that.

He had to give kudos to whoever brought the bagels in. There were plenty of options to choose from, and plenty more for butters and creams. In the end though, he settled for a nice cinnamon bagel. No cream, no butter, just a nice and sweet plain bagel.

Anders began walking over to the vending machines, but first noticed a bright pink sticky note placed next to the food on the island. It read, “Take one! They're for everyone! -Kristy”

Anders smiled. He knew Kristy well from the handful of times when he edited her work. Last time he checked the snow leopard loved to write about Happytown, one of the many poorer areas of Zootopia sandwiched between Savannah Central and the Rainforest District, and what went on there. From what he read when he edited for her, it was where she grew up, and she knew almost everyone there. On top of that, she had a heart of gold, and she sincerely cared about the people and the environment of her home. She was phenomenal at persuading her readers to help the people of Happytown, and Anders was almost positive that she would make it big in the journalism world.

However, the one thing that was holding her back the most from being a step up from the rest were her deadlines. She would get so caught up in gathering information and talking with the other mammals, she would miss when her story would actually air on the paper. This had only happened a couple of times when he was her editor, but it only took that much to put her in Danielle's crosshairs. If she conquered that, she'd be unstoppable.

With a smile, Anders continued towards the vending machine, pulled out a couple of bucks and got himself a bottle of water. Just as it fell to the bottom, he could hear commotion coming from the floor. He thought nothing of it at first, shrugging it off as he grabbed his drink and twisted the cap off, taking a sip before strolling back towards his desk.

When he entered the aisle, he could see a couple of mammals poking their heads over the monitors on their desks towards Horn’s office. Before he got the chance to look himself, he was stopped by Ferronica, who was standing on the cushion of her office chair.

“Hey Anders,” she said as she teetered on the edge of her seat. She hadn’t taken her eyes off of Danielle’s office.

“Hey Ferronica,” he replied, his gaze joining his coworker’s as he attempted to stare through the closed blinds against the windows. If only he had some form of x-ray vision.

 _Actually scratch that,_ he quickly objected. _That would get me into more trouble than good._

“Do you know what's going on with Kristy? She got called into—WOA—”

Anders managed to catch the falling ferret before she made contact with her desk, a couple of heads turning in their direction as they stood there in silent shock. His bagel and water were sprawled in opposite directions from where he stood. He was thankful that he put the cap back on the bottle, as he wouldn’t have wanted to refill it from the tap.

A couple of seconds later the two broke their stillness and shared a sigh of relief, then went back to gawking, Ferronica now sitting comfortably in her medium mammal-sized chair, while the pig grabbed his food and drink, keeping one eye on her and the other on the glass door.

“Thanks,” she managed to say while she swiveled one of the monitors on her desk out of the way  to see the office herself. “As I was saying, she got called into her office this morning when she was setting up her little bagel station in the kitchen. I see that you managed to get one yourself,” she gestured to the cinnamon bagel in his hoof.

“I have a weakness for cinnamon,” he shrugged. “But, I’m not really sure. I honestly didn’t know she was in there until now.”

“You think it’s serious?”

“You’re asking the wrong pig.” Anders sighed. “I'm gonna try and enjoy this bagel at my desk. Try not to die while I'm gone.”

“No promises.”

With that, the two of them waved goodbye and Anders slowly strolled back over towards his space. As he walked down the aisle he found that he couldn't avert his gaze away from the door. He hoped that Kristy wasn’t in it too deep. Depending on if it was Horn herself that made the request, which wasn't a far-fetched idea in the slightest, it surely wasn't going to be a meeting talking about her crowning achievements at the Gazette.

Anders just hoped that he was wrong.

The next fifteen minutes were spent eating the remainder of his cinnamon bagel while taking the time to finish up some of his editing work and adding the final touches to the spreadsheet for Charles and Edward, which he felt went fairly smoothly. When he was confident that it was complete, he put the file into an email and sent it to Charles, making sure to add Edward into the chain so he had the information as well.

Anders leaned back in his chair and popped the last bite of bagel into his mouth, savoring the sweet taste of cinnamon that blessed his taste buds. He let out a content sigh.

However, that contentment didn’t last. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the door to Danielle Horn’s office slowly pull open, and saw a certain snow leopard exiting the space. He watched her slowly shuffle back towards the center aisle and down towards her desk. It was hard not to notice that she looked distraught.

And for good reason.

Grasped in her paw was something that everyone working at the Gazette had come to lament: an empty cardboard box.

Anders stood up from his chair and watched her dip into her row and plant herself right at her desk. No one spoke. No one seemed to even acknowledge the leopard who was now beginning to pack away the bright decor from atop her desk—the mugs, the cute figurines from different television shows, the photographs of her and her family, everything.

He looked over at Ferronica, whose attention had planted her sullen eyes back at her computer screen, invested in whatever work that beckoned her call. Then he looked to George and Bethany, who didn’t even bother to look in Kristy’s direction. Even the mammals sitting next to her didn’t even attempt to give the slightest ‘I’m sorry’ to their coworker who had just lost their job. It was awful to watch.

He couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that she was a predator amongst a sea of prey, but soon realized that it was more of a definite reason than just a question of probability.

When Kristy finally finished packing her belongings and sorting out some things on her computer, she logged out, pulled a portable drive out of the computer, then walked with the brown box in her paws towards the bank of elevators. Still, no one moved. No one acknowledged her. She exited the row and slowly strolled down the aisle one last time.

Anders clenched his hooves into fists. He had enough. If no one was going to say anything, then he would take it upon himself to lend a helping hoof to a mammal he cared about.

The pig locked his computer and ran over towards Kristy with haste as she entered the elevator lobby. The door didn’t even finish closing before Anders caught it and swung it back open, revealing the sole mammal standing with her box of trinkets and photographs.

“Kristy,” he began, realizing that his jaunt had let his breath escape him. “What’s going on? What’s all this?”

She sniffled. “It’s… it’s my things.” She let out a sigh, looking down at the contents of the box. “A-as of right now… I am officially not a writer for the Daily G-Gazette.”

She couldn’t get out the last few words without shedding a few tears, the fur around her eyes beginning to dampen as she nearly crumpled to the ground. Anders quickly came to her aid as he put a hoof on her back, feeling the deep inhales of air she took into her lungs as she sobbed. Her claws sunk deep into the cardboard until eventually she dropped the box and wrapped her arms around him. He gladly returned the favor.

Some time later when she calmed back down, they both took a seat on a couch placed on the back wall of the elevator lobby, the cardboard box resting on the center cushion.

“What happened?” Anders asked.

“I missed another one of my deadlines,” she hesitantly admitted. “She’s always been up my tail about that. I guess I should have seen this coming.” She let out another sigh, wiping away at the fur around her eyes. “I was actually just about to wrap up on a story I was writing too. I just needed today to implement the finishing touches, then I’d be all set.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was it about?”

“I don’t mind at all. I was going to bring it to you anyways before I went ahead and sent it to Gerald for editing so I could get your opinion on it when it was done. But, to answer your question, it was nothing really, nothing groundbreaking. I was following some leads on some of the break-ins at the local flower shops in Happytown. Apparently the thieves weren’t really after money or a simple bouquet of flowers. It wasn’t really a flower at all really, it was some kind of… moldy onion or something.”

“Onions? Why would they steal onions? Were the burglars homeless and just looking for a meal?”

“Not likely. Whoever these guys were, they knew what they were doing. Easy in and out, kept to that item only.”

Anders leaned back against the back of the couch trying to wrap his head around the simple question of, why? Why would somebody care about some moldy onions? So he asked the question, “Why would somebody steal some onions in the first place?”

“That’s what I was trying to figure out. So, I did some digging and asked around about what these things were, and apparently they weren't onions after all.”

“Then what are they?” Anders inquired.

“They’re actually a seed of a flower known officially as Midnicampum Holicithias. It’s a Class C botanical that's used on farms to keep bugs off of produce. Highly volatile in smell. From what I read, ‘its seed form resembles the look and smell of an onion, while the flower itself blooms into a bright shade of violet. Mammals should be cautious when handling the plant because of the volatility of the chemicals it produces. If a mammal comes in contact with the plant, get medical help immediately.’ And don't get me started on how many times I had to hear that spiel.

“As far as leads go, the police want to believe they're looking for some overzealous farmer hoping to save a buck or two, but they think multiple mammals are involved. Whoever these mammals are, they’re smarter than they look. The ZPD has little to go on aside from the security camera footage, and without a proper lead, all they're hitting are dead ends.”

The two ends of the couch sat in silence as the information soaked itself in. Anders was trying to analyze it, trying to make sense of why anyone would go as far as burglary to start up a farm in the first place. Kristy just sat and watched mammals leave and enter the floor, a few of them looking in their direction. Although he was deep in thought, he could tell that she was a lot calmer than she was moments ago.

“This just doesn't make sense,” the pig shook his head, gaining Kristy’s attention. “Why would anyone go to these lengths to get this flower? How important are these things anyways?”

“Well, in terms of farming, it’s one of the most effective things you could have besides chemicals, and they're super expensive compared to other types of protection. And because they're so effective, certain botanical stores have limited stock, which is most of the stores located in the city.” She let out a sigh. “But you know what? I think I'm done with the story.”

Anders shot a puzzled look in her direction. “What?”

“I'm dropping it.”

“Why?”

“It's getting me nowhere, and I've got better things to do with my time. Plus, I need to focus on getting another job sooner rather than later. My rent isn't going to pay itself, you know.”

Kristy picked up the portable drive sitting at the top of the mountain of things inside her cardboard box. She stared at the storage device for a couple of seconds before turning to Anders.

“Here,” she offered, passing over the device in his direction. “Take it.” Anders hesitated, but gladly accepted the device. He took in its features as she spoke, “There's nothing on there that my mom hasn't got stowed away in some box somewhere. Maybe you'll have better luck with it.”

Before Anders could voice a reply, Kristy grabbed the cardboard box from the center cushion and started over towards the elevators, and after an awkward fight trying to push the down button to hail the next elevator, she waited patiently for one to arrive.

“Thanks,” Anders finally managed to get out, his response implying a more confused tone than anything else.

The ring of the elevator’s arrival filled the room. They both looked around for which elevator had been called up, then walked towards it. Kristy stepped into the elevator car, then turned to smile at him. “It’s no problem. Thought I might pass it on to someone who'll appreciate the memories.”

Her giving him the device wasn’t exactly the most logical move—she could have used it to do some freelance work or even take it with her to another company if she wanted, but she decided to give it to him instead. And if he were being completely honest, he was going to miss having her around.

Anders gave her a grin of his own. “I will. I’ll see you around Kristy. Good luck.”

“You too Anders,” she said as the elevator doors slowly met. She was gone.

The pig stared at the shut elevator doors for a moment, a small sliver of him hoping that they would just open back up to find that this all was some cruel joke, but that didn’t happen. He then cast his gaze back to the device in his hoof. He gave it a smirk.

 _Maybe a little bit of reminiscing wouldn’t hurt,_ he thought.


	10. Home Sweet Home

****_‘Now arriving at… Bunnyburrow Station.’_

The rattle of the train car’s speaker woke Edward up from his refreshing nap, his eyes barely able to open from being so heavy. He sat back up from his laying position and threw his backpack he used as a makeshift pillow onto his lap. He was almost glad that there were hardly any passengers on the train. Other than being embarrassed, he would have felt bad about taking up nearly two-thirds of the padded seats.

Edward lethargically rubbed his eyes and stared out the window. By the look and feel of it, the train had already begun slowing down to a near crawl for its arrival at the Bunnyburrow station. Soon enough, the platform came into view. He could barely make out the few mammals standing and sitting on the benches, but the train was still moving way too quickly for him to tell.

While the train was nearing its complete stop, Edward awkwardly pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. He went through the usual routine when unlocking his device—checking his text messages, looking through his email, checking his FurBook wall, and other smaller applications—and found a few things that piqued his interest.

The first was a string of texts from Charles, who brought up an excellent point that he failed to consider when making this trip: They needed more sources.

If his hunch—that these ‘Nighthowlers’ had a larger purpose—was indeed correct, he'd have to do a bit more digging than having a simple talk with his father. He would need to gather more evidence for his claim. And if his hunch was correct, he would need to accurately determine in what way they played into whatever was going on with the missing mammals—the savage predators. But in order to figure out who he needed to talk to, the talk with his father had to come first.

The second thing he found sat inside the inbox of his Z-mail account. Accented in bright red italics were a couple emails from his friend and colleague, Anders. The email second from the top came at around nine o'clock in the morning titled: ‘List of the Affected Predators So Far.’ Edward tapped his pawtip on the email, gave its description a look-over, then tapped on the attached file. Sure enough, the names of every predator were neatly listed on the spreadsheet. He skimmed over a few of the names, some familiar, some new as he attempted to put faces to the names, pausing only when he managed to find the name of Emmitt Otterton.

Besides a chilling mental image of the mammal back at Zootopia General, everything about Emmitt was listed in his specified column—age, gender, species, job. It all looked fairly accurate, not that he didn't expect it. Anders was incredibly skilled when it came to information gathering. It was probably how he landed his job at the _Gazette_ in the first place.

Having fully skimmed through the document, Edward closed out the attachment and went back to his inbox. He went to tap the next email, but didn't even manage to read the title before he felt the train come to a halt. The doors opened to reveal the station platform and its rabbit-shaped building.

Edward promptly stood up from his seat, checked the area for any items of his he may have dropped or left behind, then slowly strode towards the exit of the train car. The moment he stepped out into the open, the rays of sunlight berated Edward's vision and forced him to raise a paw over his eyes in protection. A gust of soft wind blew through the station while the sun distracted him, rustling both his shirt and fur on his face and arms.

Once the wind died down and his eyesight adjusted to the change in light, he scouted around his vicinity for somewhere to sit, eventually managing to find a bench near the entrance to the ticket booth erected in the middle of the platform.

Edward slowly sat himself on the left side of the bench and looked at the train with a sigh. The chime of the intercom played and the doors automatically shut before the train began to depart and leave towards the Podunk station.

Edward watched as the train picked up speed and eventually went out of view. He pulled his phone back out and checked the time.

_10:35_ , he read to himself. _If I call a Zuber, it'll be just under an hour before I get dropped off back at home. I'll be early._

The silver-furred wolf leaned backward into the wooden bench and looked up to the partially cloudy sky. He took in a breath. After a couple more seconds of contemplation, he made the request for a Zuber and began the wait for his ride’s arrival. In the meantime, he tried focusing his thoughts on lighter subjects to help keep his nerves more on the calm side. Oddly enough, it was working.

He recalled a fun memory of Sharla, Charles, and him all sitting together at a bar near Savannah Central. Charles was telling a really funny story about a waterpark date gone awry, while Sharla and him chuckled helplessly as he rehashed all of the embarrassing moments that he and his date had endured. It became fact at that moment that they couldn’t go for a second hearing the term ‘wave pool’ without the accompaniment of a gaggle of laughs. Those were good times.

_Perhaps when this story blows over, we can all go out and get a drink or two,_ he wondered quietly.

He tried his best not to dabble too much into the thought of his story for the sake of his nerves, but it seemed natural that the afterthought led him to thinking about the impending meeting between him and his father, Alabaster.

It begged the question if he was even remotely ready for what lie ahead of him. Sure, he had all the tools he brought with him at his disposal, but was he psychologically ready to face him, his father, with the history they both shared?

Before he could find the answer to it, and after a ten minute long wait thinking in circles, his phone buzzed and vibrated in the palm of his paw with the sound of the Zuber notification. It indicated that the driver he requested earlier had successfully made it over to the Bunnyburrow train station and his driver was ready for pickup.

Edward picked himself up from the comfort of his spot on the bench and strolled with his things over to the front of the station. When he made it to the front steps, he looked all around the loop that connected the station to the main highway that stretched through practically all of the Burrows.

He was happy to find that his driver was waiting patiently outside of his car for him, even going as far as holding a small portable whiteboard with the name _‘_ **_SNOW_ ** _’_ written in bold capital letters. Unsurprisingly, he was a tan-furred rabbit, clad in a light red hoodie and a slimming pair of black denim jeans. Covering his eyes was a pair of silver-colored aviator sunglasses, while the top of his left ear sported a white and silver-studded earring. It looked like he was typing something into his phone.

Edward thought nothing of it as he got closer to the buck. He had just finished whatever he was doing on his cell phone before his gaze had caught the wolf’s, who had shyly turned his head away. Still looking at him, the rabbit lowered the sign and pulled the sunglasses away from his face.

“You Edward Snow?” he asked uncaringly.

Edward’s gaze was brought back to the buck attentively, noticing the piercing brown eyes before him. He cleared his throat, “Y-yeah, I’m Edward, Edward Snow,” he nodded with an anxious stutter.

“Good,” the rabbit said, putting his sunglasses back on. “Climb on inside and we can get going. By the address you typed in, it’s gonna be a long drive so I’d rather not waste any time.” He opened the backside door to the car, then suddenly turned back to Edward, extending his paw. “Oh, and before I forget, my name is Samuel Hopps, but you can call me Sami for short.”

Edward flashed him a grin and rolled his eyes. _Of course it would be a Hopps,_ he thought. Edward shook the rabbit’s paw. “Nice to meet you, Sami.”

The wolf quickly weaseled his way into the backseat of the rabbit’s vehicle and set his backpack onto the open seat he wasn’t using. As he buckled himself in, he took in his surroundings, noticing first that this car wasn’t some bunny-sized sedan, but rather a mid-mammal-sized car suitable for even a short cheetah with about a half an inch of wiggle room at the roof. For himself, Edward was considerably short for his species, and had a good six inches of room to work with—give or take.

After shutting Edward’s door, Sami moved to the driver’s side and expertly hopped into the driver's seat, quickly adjusting it and the pedals to accommodate a mammal his size. He fiddled with the rearview mirror for a second or two and buckled himself in before eventually shutting his door. The rabbit wasted no time in placing his phone with the GPS application open onto the mount located near the middle of the dashboard, then put the car into drive. As he pulled out of his spot in front of the station, he adhered to the directions of his GPS and turned right out of the station loop and started down the highway, westbound towards downtown Bunnyburrow. Past the town a couple miles down would be the final destination, the Snow family home.

Edward let out a sigh. He placed his head atop his paw, his arm resting on the dark plastic just before the window. He could feel the anxiety beginning to build inside of him just thinking about where he was heading. Although it was minute, he could feel the panic starting to swell. All he could do now that he was bound for home was take in the sights. That was the plan. His introverted mind was ready for some more peace and quiet.

But what he didn't expect was the voice of a rabbit whose patience had reached its limits.

“So,” Sami drew out with a bland tone, “what brings you to Bunnyburrow? We don’t really see too many wolves around these parts—”

“Besides the Wolfsteins and the Lupins, that is.” Edward chimed in, hoping to deflect his question.

“You know them?” the rabbit perked up, his brown eyes catching a glimpse of the wolf through the reflection of the rearview mirror. He gave a light chuckle. “You must be from around here then.”

“I did. I used to live here with my family before I left for college,” Edward confirmed, the buck’s sight once again honed in on the road ahead. Edward could already feel himself getting antsy just mentioning his family, and it only got worse as he continued. “We— _they_ live on the far side of town at the farm, almost near the border of Deerbrook near Podunk. Because of my job and where I work in the city, I rarely come around here that often. It’s been around… five or six years since my last visit, give or take.”

Sami threw a semi-stunned expression Edward’s way. “Why the long wait to come back?”

Edward hesitated at first—mainly because of how his anxiousness began to chill the very bones in his body. A shiver shot down his spine as he tried to control the nervous spike as best he could. He was reluctant to share his life story and make his driver’s ears bleed. So instead, he gave the rabbit an obscure answer to chew on.

“Things just kept on getting in the way. Work, family, my friends, my own gripes; you know how it goes.”

“I understand,” Sami nodded.

It went quiet once again in the inside of the car as they continued down the highway. All the talk about Edward’s family didn't pursue Sami to spark another conversation, which inevitably led to some large amounts of awkward silence.

Instead of dreading the thought of maintaining social interaction like a normal mammal, Edward  attempted to sway his thoughts by looking out from the car window at the sights passing him by, spotting a familiar vacant lot and a red barn that was getting a well-deserved coat of red paint. He chuckled to himself and wondered when the next Carrot Days Festival was. It had to be soon, summer was just around the corner.

“You mind if I put on some music?” suddenly the rabbit’s voice asked as he fiddled around with the audio controls in the car and the phone sitting in its mount on the dashboard connected via AUX cord to the center console.

“Not at all,” Edward replied with a smile, then returned to looking out the window.

“Any preferences?”

“I'll leave it up to you.”

“Alright, if you need me to change it or if it gets too annoying, just tell me and I'll turn it to something else.”

“Sounds good.”

The soothing rumble of jazzy tunes filled the car as the rabbit quietly hummed to the bassline. This, however, quickly caught his attention.

Edward was pleasantly surprised at two things. The first was the choice of song—‘Can't Sleep Love’ by the world famous acapella group, Pentafawnix, from their recent album of the same name. The second was directed at Sami and how accurately the rabbit was hitting the low notes of the song. He’d expect something like this from someone such as Charles, at least he had that rich bass tone. If only Charles could _hold_ that tone. But, this tiny rabbit was hitting a large majority of these notes with relative ease. It was a nice distraction to say the least.

But, the distraction didn't last long. As much as he didn't _want_ to think about Alabaster or his family, he couldn’t just ignore the problems that were beginning to stack up behind the scenes. There was the bigger issue of the lack of sources for their story. What if there was more to Edward's hunch that meets the eye? If they didn't have content for the story past the interviews from the relatives of the savage predators, they could kiss their jobs goodbye. There was that to think about.

Then there was the question of how he would react around his family now that the wedding and the funeral had come and gone. He hadn't exactly seen them since he and Sharla left for college after all, and even then he wasn't too keen on talking with them after they were so thrilled that he was marrying a prey mammal. The only exception to this of course was his mother. She was so happy for him during the ceremony. One could tell that she was one the proudest parents around that day. She got to see all of her babies wed, and even got to witness the birth of Lavender’s two pups.

A low sigh flowed through Edward's nose. He missed her dearly. It was hard to comprehend that going back home meant she wouldn't be there to greet him and hug him when he walked through that door. She was everything to him. She was the one who pushed him to pursue a writing career in the first place. He wouldn't be where he was without her push. How could he face his father now that she was gone?

_Was she truly at peace?_ Edward wondered, placing his gaze up to the clouds. Charolete left everything and everyone she loved behind that day, and yet up until her dying breath she looked like the weight of the world was just as light as a feather. She was such a strong-willed mammal; he only wished he could achieve her level of confidence. She must’ve felt terrible that she was leaving this world so soon.

Edward thought a silent prayer for her, as another soft breath left his lungs. He had to be strong.

For now, he would try and put his focus on the task at hand. He needed his story, and he needed his job. Getting information was priority number one, and talking with his father was merely the first step. He had to be prepared for whatever lied ahead. There was still the drive to enjoy before then, and he planned on enjoying every moment of it.

Thankfully, it wasn't that hard to enjoy the sights of Bunnyburrow’s farms, forests, and hills. It all looked stunning. After spending so much time in the city, he had forgotten about the blissful look of nature. It managed to calm him so much to the point where he found himself drifting in and out of sleep until a nap finally did him in.

When he woke up, he was confronted with the beginnings of Downtown Bunnyburrow.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Sami quipped.

Edward sat up in his seat and awkwardly stretched his body out. He pawed at the switch on the door until the window rolled down, peeking his head out when he could comfortably see without worry of his muzzle hitting or touching the glass.

He recognized most of the shops he and his family visited when he, Gary, and Lavender were children. They passed the candy shop, the old movie theater, the park, even _Wallace and Son’s_ . However, there was one store they passed that caught his eye. Hanging along the wall in big white bold letters was a sign with the name _Gideon Grey’s Real Good Bake Stuff._ The inside looked packed to the brim with mammals.

Edward raised a brow. “Gideon… bakes?”

“Yep,” the rabbit said, stopping the car at a traffic light. “That's Gideon's bakery. One of the top pastry chefs in the Tri-burrows last I heard.”

“Really?”

“One of the best bakers in town. You know him?”

“I… used to know him back in high school.”

“That explains it then. Hard to know one of your friends doing something like that, huh?”

Edward was quick to defuse that statement, “Oh, no. No, Gideon… wasn't my friend.” A moment of hesitation got the words he was going to say stuck in his throat, but eventually he managed to get them out. “In my family I'm considered the ‘runt of the litter,’ so long story short, I pretty much got bullied on a regular basis.”

“Yikes. Sorry to hear that.”

“It's fine now, though,” Edward muttered in an attempt to be reassuring. “I haven't heard from any of my bullies since high school, so it's not really an issue anymore. But, still, the fact that he bakes is pretty neat. Maybe I’ll come down here to get a cupcake or something when I have the chance.”

“Well, I don't know if your family has this covered, but if you need a ride there later on today, I might be able to join in with you. I could never pass up on a slice of his cakes.”

Edward laughed lightly, “I'll let you know, Sami.”

The rest of the drive through Downtown remained unchanged for the most part. The only thing that seemed different were the mammals walking the streets. There were a couple moments where Edward swore he recognized a couple of his friends from high school, even six whole years after he and Sharla graduated. Though no matter how much he wanted to peek his head out further to say hello, his anxiety kept his curiosity at bay and his head inside the safety and comfort of the moving vehicle.

After a bit of stop-and-go traffic they were able to continue out of the bustling Downtown scene and onto the last stretch of road they would take before they arrived at the Snow family farm.

Edward compulsively double-checked the contents of his bag, making sure he was as prepared as possible to face his father. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, and the uncertainty only worsened his mindset. Before long, Edward could feel the nervousness creep back into his mind while his body began to shake involuntarily. A forceful breath forced its way from his mouth. Fear had started setting in.

The GPS app gave out the final direction as Sami turned the car down the long dirt driveway. Edward could see the house in the distance through the windshield. A gulp fell down his throat. Both Lavender and Alabaster’s cars were parked out front.

“And, here we are,” the rabbit said as he pulled the car up to the front of the house.

By the time Sami put the car in park, Edward could fully feel the butterflies fluttering around in his chest. His heart wasn't faring too well, either. He felt like a complete mess.

Edward fumbled around with his seatbelt and backpack before looking up towards the front porch. He took another breath, then weakly grinned at his driver.

“Thank you for the ride, Sami.”

“Anytime, Edward,” Sami smiled back. “Hope your trip back to the Burrows goes well.”

“I hope it does too.”

Just before the wolf could leave, Sami reached over and handed Edward a small business card. “Don't be afraid to call me up if you ever need a ride. I'm always available.”

“Thanks, I'll definitely consider calling if I'm down here.”

With a short set of goodbyes, Edward opened the door and jumped out of the vehicle, the dirt from the ground collecting onto his feet as he walked along the driveway. He went ahead and stuffed the business card into his wallet for safekeeping, figuring that it might be safe to have a ride back to the station if things didn’t pan out well. Once he got to the porch of the house he watched the car turn around and speed off towards the highway, the tires leaving behind a trail of smoke as dirt kicked up into the humid air.

Edward then turned towards the door of his old home. He slowly took in a breath to rid some of his nerves (even if the attempt was futile) and went up the steps, then stopped when he reached the doorway.

He opened up the protective plastic mesh screen door and gave the front door a few knocks. The wolf stepped back and shut the first door, then stood silently on the porch for Alabaster to come and greet him inside.

His gaze began to wander across the length of the porch, stopping only when he spotted the pair of rocking chairs sitting on the left side. They looked immaculate, as if they hadn't been touched in years.Suddenly, at the thought of cleanliness, a realization hit him. He had been sleeping on both the train and the car ride. More than likely his fur looked sloppy and undone. He began to panic. He frantically attempted to pat down and fluff the parts of his fur that felt messy, wishing he had some sort of mirror to help guide him.

_Why am I worrying about this anyways,_ Edward frowned at the thought. _It's not like it will make any difference. I'm the runt of the litter. The failure of the family. I mean nothing to them—_

His last thought was cut off by the sound of the door getting tugged open. Both of his arms quickly came down to their sides. He held his breath. The door was completely open. Edward tilted his head in confusion at the lack of a mammal present.

But when the light gasp of a young pup filled his ears, he understood why. He looked down to see a familiar six-year-old wolf standing before him. She was beaming from ear to ear.

“Uncle Ed!” the brown-furred wolf grinned.

She rushed over to him and gave him the biggest hug she could. But, before he could crouch down and return the favor, another pup called out from the other room.

“Uncle Ed’s here?!” Then came the scampering footsteps of the other young wolf, joining in on the hug.

Edward couldn’t help but flash a smile. He ruffled the tops of the pups’ heads. “Hello, Mary, Theodor. It's nice to see you two again.” he greeted.

“Edward?”

The taken aback voice that sounded through the foyer pointed Edward's ears in the general vicinity of the sound while his gaze was cast towards the figure standing in the middle of the living room. It was none other than the owner of this old farm home, Alabaster. It appeared that he had sneakily come from either the depths of his study in the far corner of the house or the couch in the living room. He was dressed in a red polo shirt, blue denim jeans and a blue jean jacket, a gold metal band adorning his finger.

“What's all the commotion…” Lavender asked, her sentence trailing off as she looked at both Edward and Alabaster. She then hurried over towards the kids standing next to Edward, and lightly pulled them aside. “Come on you two, we still have to finish making lunch.”

“Aww, but mom, I wanna see Uncle Eddy!” Mary pouted.

“Uncle Eddy will join us in a bit, Mary. Grandpa and him are going to talk for a bit then they’ll join us for some lunch.”

“...Okay,” another pout came before the family of three shuffled back over towards the kitchen.

That left both Alabaster and Edward standing muzzle to muzzle in the foyer in awkward silence. The sounds of quiet conversation filled the air for a moment before Alabaster got the chance to speak.

“I'm glad you could make it down here, Ed,” he started in a low voice, accompanied with an out of place smile. “Why don't you set your stuff down in your room first before we go on about this story you were telling me about. Your old room should be ready, not that it needed anything in particular. Everything should be how you left it.”

Edward started up the stairs without a word, the squeaky cries of the wood at his feet echoing harshly around the room. He brought his paw up to relieve the irritating itch that had formed. But, while doing so, he discovered something else. His ears were flush against the top of his head. When exactly did his body decide to show he had his tail between his legs, he began to wonder. Did he _want_ to spell out that he was still weak?

Regardless, it seemed that the feelings he shared between him and his father wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Unbeknownst to Edward, the wolf standing at the foot of the stairs was watching him climb every step until he finally turned around the corner. A frown formed on his muzzle before he turned tail and headed back towards the living room.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

The silver wolf shuffled down the hallway and took in his surroundings. He could practically feel the nostalgia bleeding through the pink paw print-themed wallpaper and the creaky wooden flooring. He gazed at all the doors, still imagining how he, Gary, and Lavender had their room set up before. But when he looked through the open doorway of Lavender and Gary’s old bedroom, he saw the makings of a little pup’s room and the differences of the two sides—dolls, art supplies, and playhouses on one side, then the scattered bits of sports equipment on the other. It was like witnessing a second Gary and Lavender all over again. Only this time, these siblings were some of the kindest, most well behaved kids anyone could ask for.

He walked past the bedroom that Mary and Theo shared and stopped just before the final door at the end of the hallway. He had to wonder, would his room be the same as he left it like his father told him? He could imagine the utter disrepair that his room could be in. It was probably trashed for all he knew. All of his old things sprawled out over the floor and tabletops, his pictures of Sharla and Charles defaced and damaged. Edward’s family—his father specifically—disliked his marriage to begin with, so it wasn't far from the realm of possibility.

But, the fact that they could, or rather _would_ , invade his personal space and just deface his own property, it didn't sit well with him. Though the memory was foggy, he could remember how Gary had taken something of his that he had bought with his chore money and nearly ruined it during one of their arguments. The thought alone made him fume. His stuff was his, that was it. He couldn't stand when someone couldn't respect personal property. It was morally wrong.

It only took a few seconds after having this thought for Edward's anger to reach its limit. In a sudden motion, he clutched the doorknob and gave it a hard twist, swiftly pushing the door open with a shove.

When he stepped inside, Edward couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was like his mind couldn't decide whether to feel shocked or (wait for it…) _pleasantly_ surprised to see the state of his space.

It was pristine. There wasn't one thing out of place in his room—his bed sheets were laid out perfectly, his desk was neat and tidy, and even the carpets looked to be cleaner than normal. It was a strange sight. Had he left his room this way before he and Sharla left for college? He couldn't recall.

Edward took a couple of steps towards the center of the room. He was completely mesmerized. He lazily threw the bag on his back onto his bed and planted himself into the chair at his desk.

A quiet exhale left his nose. Was he relaxed? No, not in the slightest. Edward was simply relieved. He was very thankful that everything was where it was supposed to be. Now the one thing he had to worry about was the one-on-one with his father, which he would have to tackle very soon. This was just the calm before the storm.

Edward looked around the room and again took in how cleanly it was until he spotted something unexpected. He grasped one of the three photographs from the left of his desk, and looked closely at the faces staring back at him.

A light sullen smile crept up on his face. He remembered this moment.

It was the day of Edward and Sharla’s wedding. Mammals from all sides of the family were in attendance: Sharla’s family, a small handful of friends, and notably Edward’s direct family. When Charolete saw Edward and Sharla in their wedding attire—more like when she saw how beautiful Sharla’s dress looked—she insisted that they all take a picture together.

So, after much bickering, the wedding photographer went ahead and obliged to the family's request. Edward remembered how hard it was to smile with Lavender and her kids, Alabaster, and Gary and his husband lurking beside him, then recalled how Charolete cracked a quick joke that got everyone to smile. It was that moment that was captured in the photograph, the one that brought the family together that one time.

But, something didn't look right.

It wasn't the picture itself that seemed off to Edward, but rather the arrangement of the pictures that looked wrong. As far as he knew, before he left for college, there were three pictures he had on his dresser at all times: one with him, Charles, and Sharla back in high school, another with him and Charolete cooking together, and finally a family photo. He hadn't touched these pictures since college, so what changed?

Then it hit him. His eyes went wide. The family photo. It wasn't the same. The old one was from almost ten years ago, back when Gary, Lavender, and him were sixteen. That photo lived in infamy on his desk if his straight face in the picture didn't give it away. When he left he couldn't stare at it for more than two seconds without getting angry, and had to place it face down to where he couldn't see any of his family's faces. And that's how he left it. Now it was face up, and the photo changed, now with an additional two members of the family.

More importantly, it sported the bright smile of a certain ewe.

_Did… did_ da— _Alabaster_ … _replace the photo?_ The thought echoed in his head. He honestly considered the idea, but eventually shook it off as some wild fantasy. _No, it had to have been mom. She would have been the only one to change it if anything. Alabaster couldn't have. Not a chance._

Edward placed the photograph back down on the desk and thought up a silent ‘thank you’ to his mother.

The silver wolf got up from his desk chair and lethargically let out a deep yawn. He walked over to the bag resting on his bed and laid out a small notebook, a fine point pen, and double-checked the storage capacity on his phone. He was glad he had the sixty-four gigabyte model, he still had around forty left. Everything for the interview was ready.

“You getting ready for something there?”

The unexpected voice made him jump as his ears flicked in its direction. He turned around to the door and found a familiar white-furred wolf leaning with a blank expression along the frame.

“I'm just making sure I have everything ready for my interview with Alabaster.”

“This for work or something like that?”

“Yeah.”

The two remained silent for a moment, Edward returning to checking the rest of his things.

“Why don't you call him ‘dad?’” the voice behind him asked.

Edward scoffed at the senseless question, his eyes rolling before he even dared to respond. “You of all mammals should know why I don't call him that. You are my sister after all.”

“You never talk to me or anything, so I wouldn't know.”

“I wonder why,” Edward spoke under his breath.

“Well maybe if you acted a bit more—”

“What?” he raised his tone, turning back to her. “‘More like a wolf?’ Was that what you were going to say?”

“Geeze, so defensive. I was going to say ‘normal,’ but since _you_ brought it up, that too.”

“Really? You can't be serious right now.” Edward placed a paw on his hip. “Are you _still_ trying to get under my skin after all of these years? Isn't this getting a bit old now, the fighting?” He turned back to his things. “We aren't pups anymore, Lav. These fights aren't getting us anywhere. They're tearing what little friendship we had apart. Can't we just talk like adults instead of trying to argue like pups?”

“You want to have an adult conversation? Fine.” Edward could feel the regret pulling on his heart. This wasn't going to end well. “Why do you feel the need to completely throw away what makes you a wolf in the first place?”

“If I recall correctly, it was Alabaster who pretty much threw me out of the pack.”

“He never ‘threw you out,’ Edward. You walked away. I bet you just gave up because you were just too weak and didn't have the balls to even try. Even if you couldn't howl, you could have still challenged Gary for something greater than the Omega. You had so much potential to really nail him, the smarts, his weaknesses—”

“Well, I'm sorry to disappoint,” Edward shrugged. “It's kind of hard to try when nearly everyone in the family is against you. Like you said, I don't have a howl like you guys do, I don't have a bite like you guys do, and I certainly don't even have the strength to make the cut as a wolf. It’s not surprising that barely anyone believed in my ability as a part of the pack. It's like everybody wanted to ditch me the first chance they got. Eventually, they did.”

_“You_ ditched _us_ , Edward.” Lavender pointed at him. “You ditched us for some stupid sheep and became some gross prey-chaser. Then you went and married her? It's hard to believe that mom let you go through with it anyways—”

“I think it's time for you to leave, Lav,” Edward said sternly.

“What? What's the matter? Can't take the heat, Eddy? I'm only trying to have a friendly talk with you.”

Edward turned to Lavender, shooing her away from the door. He could feel his pulse starting to race. His face was flush with anger at the mention of that age-old phrase used by both of his siblings. His voice nearly screamed when he shooed her towards the hallway. “Leave.”

“Typical,” she scowled as she stepped away from the doorframe. “Looks like you haven't changed one bit. You're so stubborn. I do hope you enjoy your short stay with us. I doubt you'll be here for long, _prey-chaser_.”

Edward slammed the door shut in her face at the mention of that degrading term. He walked back over towards the bed and hunched over his things, trying to wrap his head around the question ‘why?’ for the moment. Why would anyone within the family mind at this point if he didn't care for the wolf ways? It wasn't like he was treated any better if he did accept them anyways, he was the runt of the litter. He was treated badly regardless.

Once he knew for sure that Lavender would be back down the stairs and towards the kitchen, Edward grabbed the pen and notebook and moved towards the foyer. He was trying desperately to make sure he put on a straight face for his interview, but due to that conversation with his sister, there was a new chip on his shoulder, a fresh wound that so easily pierced through him.

Edward let her get to him. Again. To say that he was upset was an understatement. He was tired of it. One thing was certain though: He wouldn't dare let it happen again.

He slowly stepped down the stairs and looked into the depths of the living room. The space was dimly lit, the natural light from outside the only source of light that bounced around the room. However dim it may have been, it didn't take much to clearly spot the figure sitting hunched in the chair in the corner of the living room.

Unsurprisingly, this figure sitting in the corner was none other than Alabaster. He appeared to be holding something in his paws. Edward couldn't tell exactly what the object in his paws was, but he didn't care enough to want to find out.

He walked into the living room, a silent exhale leaving Edward’s nose before he stopped a short distance in front of Alabaster. Now that he stood just a few feet away from his father, Edward could recognize the familiar shape of a picture frame clasped firmly in his paws, but couldn’t fully see the picture that rest inside. Alabaster’s thumb stroked the glass that covered the picture, his ears slowly beginning to fall to the back of his head.

Edward crossed his arms. He was becoming impatient, and it wasn’t until he cleared his throat that Alabaster finally looked up from the picture.

“Edward?” his father jumped, holding the picture close to his chest. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

While Edward tried not to roll his eyes at the suspect overdramatic reaction, Alabaster let out a sigh and placed the picture frame back on the end table beside the chair, revealing the photo of both his father and Charolete together. They looked like they were, what, in their twenties when they took that picture? His mom looked so young.

“So,” Alabaster started, “you had some questions to ask me about a story you were writing?”

“Yes,” Edward nodded. “It—”

“I was thinking maybe we could take a walk around the farm a bit while you ask the questions, changing the scenery a bit won't do us any harm.”

Edward waited for anything else to follow, then began to put in his two cents, “Yeah, the—”

“Now that you're here, perhaps you can see what me, the pups, and Lavender have done with the place—”

“Can I say something?” Edward finally got in, irritation notable in his tone.

“Sure,” Alabaster hesitantly nodded, “fire away.”

Edward took a moment to take a breather, a drawn-out exhale quelling some of the nerves that chilled his body. He looked to his father and quickly gathered some confidence together before a voice crack led the charge.

“Look, I know that this interview just kinda came out of the blue and we're still dealing with mom’s passing… plus you all still hate my choice in marrying Sharla. Coupled with the bad blood between us, I'll try not to overstay my welcome. That way you don't have some weak runt getting in your guys’ way.”

Edward turned away and headed towards the front door, but was stopped when his father’s voice quietly sounded in the corner of the room. “What do you mean by that?”

The silver wolf turned back to Alabaster, dumbfounded. “You really don't know? You can't be serious. You're telling me that you haven't seen how everyone in this family— _including you_ , might I add—have treated me throughout my entire life?”

When he noticed no change in his father's glance, he huffed. Edward balled his free paw into a fist. That pushed him over the edge.

“There wasn't one day when I felt like I was _something_ , that I could actually amount to something in this world. You were constantly beating me down to the ground. I could never be good enough for you. To make things better, Gary and Lavender reminded me every day how much I meant to the family through passive aggressiveness and blatant insults to me directly. At some point, Gary joined the bullies in school who were picking on me and filled them on how I couldn't howl, and how I'm just the runt of the litter. There was no relief from anyone other than mom, who actually believed in me and fought for me when you didn't. Life was hell _._

“Keyword, _was_ . It wasn't until I met Sharla that I actually _felt_ like I could make something of myself. She was the one mammal pushing me and guiding me towards the goal that I'd never thought I'd achieve: being a writer for a big news company. I know that I _never_ and _will never_ be good enough for you. I will never reach the unattainable heights that you set for me.  So, I stopped trying and I started living my life the way I wanted too. You have no control over my life, and I'm going to love and cherish my wife and love her until death do us part, Alabaster. That's a fact.”

Alabaster stared into Edward's harsh glare until he stared down towards the floor. The silver wolf let out a harsh breath and turned his back to him.

“Let's just get this interview over with. You want to talk and walk? Fine. I'll be waiting on the porch when you're ready.”

Edward took a few steps towards the door. Though he didn't like confrontation and starting fights, it felt liberating to finally have a voice after being silenced for so long.

Then came the words that stopped Edward in his tracks.

“I… I can't stop thinking about Charolete.”

Alabaster's tone was low and soft, the resonance in his baritone voice bouncing along the walls, and Edward couldn't help but ignore his hatred for the moment and listen.

“Every time I wake up in the morning, I think I'll see her lovely face resting on the pillow beside me. Every time I walk through the house, I think I'll smell the food she used to make. Even when I see you three around the house, I think about that time at the hospital when you three were born. She was the love of my life, Edward. My… soulmate. Life just seems empty without her.”

Edward turned around to see a sullen sigh leave the older wolf's muzzle as he hunched over, grabbing the picture and staring at it once more.

“I'm not sure if she told you, but this isn't the first time I've lost someone I loved. A few months before you were born, my dad died in an accident involving a drunk driver. He was so happy that he was going to become a grandfather. When we told him the news, he broke down into tears right on the spot. I’ve never seen him so happy. The day he died… the moment I had to walk in to confirm that it was him, I… couldn't handle it. It was as if something else died along with him that day, and I couldn't fathom what it was until it was too late.”

Alabaster looked up to Edward with glossy eyes. Edward just simply watched and listened.

“Charolete loved each and every one of her pups. However, if there was one of her pups that she loved more than anything, it would have to be you, Edward. And I can finally see why. You pushed through all of the hate that was given to you by us, then you go and chase your dream and actually achieve it with flying colors. And just when you couldn’t go any higher, you do the unthinkable and marry a mammal that you love and makes you happy.

“Edward, I can say without a doubt that _you are one of the strongest mammals I know,_ and out of you three, you’ve made me the most proud.”

The silver wolf stood there silently. Several emotions were attempting to reveal themselves as he held back the tears that were starting to form in his eyes, his free paw clenching back into a fist and the notebook and pen in his other paw creaking and moaning from the strain.

“Life is too short to hold on to stupid grudges. There was no merit in treating you like I did. Edward… _son_ … words can’t express how sor—”

“Stop,” Edward said, stopping Alabaster in his tracks. “You’re telling me you’re just going to make a complete one-eighty? Just like that? Without any rhyme or reason?”

“I never expected you to forgive me right off the bat,” Alabaster admitted, ears seeming to go even flatter against his head. “After how harshly I treated you, no, I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just need to get this off of my chest so I can finally move on from my father's passing, and grieve for Charolete. But, even if you don’t forgive me, it doesn’t mean that I can’t say that I’m sorry.”

“No,” Edward said as Alabaster stood up from his chair. The elder wolf stepped on over to him, Edward taking a step back as he got closer. “No… no, no, I can’t accept this Alabaster.” He kept getting closer.

“Edward,” Alabaster said softly, stopping in front of his son. Edward stared at him with frightened eyes.

“Stop…”

Seeing this, Alabaster took the final steps he needed before his arms wrapped around his son. Edward didn't know what to do. “I'm sorry.”

“Why’re… you… you….” Edward began to sniffle,  finally realizing what exactly he was feeling. He let the notebook and pen fall out of his paw and wrapped his arms around Alabaster. Edward never expected a hug from him to be so comforting. He felt… safe, protected even.

Edward couldn't remember when he started crying, but the thought barely crossed his mind before his mind shut down completely.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Alabaster kept repeating those same words as he continued to comfort his son, whose head was buried into his chest. Was it strange that he was beginning to shed tears too? No. It felt right. It felt like he was a whole new wolf.

Could it be that he was finally able to let go? That had to be it.

He petted the back of Edward's head as he sobbed into his shirt. Alabaster was convinced that Charolete and Norman were both smiling down at him, at both of them.

_Home sweet home_ , the old wolf thought to himself.


	11. Overwhelmed

_“When it rains it pours.”_ The phrase never seemed to click as much as it did before that night. How ironic was it then that actual rain licked every part of his fur and clothing and not the artificial stuff that came from the sprinklers riddled throughout the district? Must’ve been his lucky day.

How did he manage to get to this point? How was it that he found himself standing at the edge of what looked to be an endless green abyss of flora and leaves? It was odd to see the Rainforest District in such light, though he wasn’t shocked. It seemed that life had prepared him for this moment. His last hurrah.

‘How did he get here? What happened leading up to this could make him do something so awful?’ some would probably wonder. To answer these questions, one only had to look at his past. Only then could they truly understand.

It all started when he was little. He was around five, maybe six years old when it happened. His mother and father were having another one of their arguments while he was trying to play with a couple of his old stuffed bears. He couldn’t quite recall what the fight was directed at—probably something pointless if he had to guess—but he remembered that it was worse than normal. When he walked into the room to investigate for himself, his father wobbled over to him and gave him a hard smack across the face. After that, his mother proceeded to try and argue with his father more amidst all the shock and crying until his father walked away, leaving her alone with her kit. After a beat of silence she walked over and grabbed him, then spanked him back into submission, tears still flowing down his fur. He didn’t understand what he had done wrong. He still didn't understand.

A few years later, he found himself dealing with quite the posse of bullies. They called him everything in the book: stupid, dumb, retarded, gay, freak, you name it. On top of that, they also took it upon themselves to cement their claims with further violence and name calling that left him in pretty rough shape on some occasions. When they were finished with him, they'd leave him to collect his things, lick his wounds and head back home to where he was met with further name-calling and abuse.

This vicious cycle repeated itself up until the end of elementary school when the bullies finally stopped and his father suddenly left without so much as a word. He also managed to find someone who he could talk to and share his thoughts with. That day, life felt okay.

Then came middle school. What a shit show that was. The bullies that tormented him and his new friend from elementary school came at them in full force with their physical violence and derogatory names. He also had to continue dealing with his mother's wrath and unwarranted abuse (not to mention her now more abundant drinking problem). There was a lot on his plate, but he still managed to survive.

Next was high school, the days where he pushed to find himself and attempt to live his own life, though limited as it was. It was his goal to be nothing like his father nor his mother, and to instead be as kind as he could be, to make the most out of his high school years. In turn, the bullying seemed to quiet down to a minor annoyance during his freshman year, so didn't really see much action on that front—though he couldn't say the same for his old friend. On top of that, his circle of friends got bigger as well. He hung out with his friend from elementary school the most, however. They had bonded through the pains of family and the bullies from their schools and made quite the dynamic duo as it turned out.

Fast forward to his junior year, the friends he had made during his first two years of high school strengthened his resolve and pushed him further towards his goal. However, that year was the only year in his high school career that would serve to test him the most. The friend that he had made all that time ago, back when he was a little kid, was now his boyfriend.

Though the bullies continued to torment what seemed to be his other half, he did his best to protect him in any way he could. But, he found that his newfound love didn't feel as secure as he thought it would. How was he to tell his boyfriend? He didn't want to ruin their relationship. It turned out that thanks to some unforeseen circumstances, he didn't have to do much. One day, he had done the unthinkable and broke that trust between them, essentially cheating on his love. They broke up the following night, mutually agreeing that the two of them stay friends despite everything. He had broken his heart and his soul, and thankfully, his friend was able to forgive him.

Eventually, near the end of that school term, he introduced a number of mammals from his other circle of friends to his ex, and one friend in particular struck his eye. The two of them seemed to hit it off right away. It took his old friend a while to convince himself that he was indeed in love—she wasn't even the same species, or even the same type of mammal for that matter—but when his ex finally did, he had never seen him so happy. They were incredibly cute together. It was a shame he would never see them get married.

After high school, his ex and his girlfriend went off to college, leaving him and a select number of their friends behind. He went ahead and moved out of the house with the money he was able to scrape together from the work he put in during his junior and senior years. Needless to say, he was happy to finally get away from his mother’s clutches. He was finally able to start his own life. He settled down in an apartment located in Happytown, right in the city of Zootopia, and found someone like him with a similar background. A few years later, this mammal became his boyfriend and moved into his apartment.

He recalled that mammals outside the city called Zootopia ‘a place where anyone can be anything.’

“Bunch of hogwash is what it was,” his voice spoke to no one in particular.

Like everyone else in the city, he found himself settling into a manager position at the local Bug Burga, making a wage that he could be happy with. It wasn't the best job in the world, but it was manageable enough to where it wasn't a burden to him financially. It was his boyfriend who didn't share the same idea. It was his boyfriend that wanted more money flowing into their apartment—which wasn't even his to begin with. He even found that his boyfriend had been stashing away drugs inside his place. The next morning, after an incredibly heated conversation that resulted in a broken vase, the now ex-boyfriend left the apartment in a huff. It was a shame. He thought that he would be the one.

Little did he know, there was more than just a simple break-up to deal with. Nothing was ever simple with him.

As it turned out, the backpack he took to and from work that held his work clothes, a spare change of clothes and phone charger also held something else he wasn't aware of. Hidden in one of the pockets was a small bag of nip, enough to get the largest cheetah as high as a kite. The bad thing? There was a police officer roaming around his restaurant. What made it worse? He was a wolf. Needless to say, the officer was tempted to ask him several questions about how he smelt exactly like the drugs that were in his bag and eventually hauled him off to the Savannah Central precinct. Now that he thought about it, was it even legal for the officer to do a random search of his belongings?

The cops barely gave him a chance to make a case for himself—a vengeful boyfriend’s last hurrah after years of arguing and an apparent drug issue.

Barely.

He was lucky that his ex-boyfriend already had a hefty file compiled in their system. They were able to catch the shifty drug addict before he had the chance to make it far. But, it didn't bring him nearly as much satisfaction as it should have, even when his ex’s deranged nature made him look like a rabid monster. That shifty tiger had already ruined him completely.

In the same week, he managed to break up spectacularly with his boyfriend, got arrested for the first time in his life for something out of his control, got fired from his job, and was on the verge of losing the apartment that he slaved so hard for. All seemed lost.

But, thankfully, there was one saving grace. His old friend from long ago and his girlfriend had moved into the city and gotten an apartment of their very own in the heart of Savannah Central. And even with them just being moved into the city, he was left with no other option than to ask them for money for rent. He remembered feeling incredibly bad for his negligence. Their bank account must've been completely wiped by the time they agreed to lend him a helping paw.

Finding a job within that month was one of the hardest tasks of his entire life, even worse than living with _both_ of his parents. And it was all thanks to the drugs that were found on his clothing and inside his backpack. Regardless of his innocence, that moment would forever be on his official police record.

In every background check a potential employer would do, they would be able to find that little detail and reject him from ever being employed. This continued being the case until next month’s payment. He was at a loss.

With nowhere else to go, he once again came to his old friend the following month. He cried. He actually cried. He never cried. He told him about his terrible situation and how he couldn't find a job anywhere, hoping to at least make a case for himself. Unfortunately, there was nothing that his friend could do. He and his girlfriend—who was also his friend—had given him all the money they could from their savings, and with their biweekly pay, they couldn't do anything. Plus, they had their own apartment and bills to pay for.

That was that. He couldn't blame either one of them. They did all they could to help. He was just too worthless, too pathetic to put himself out there.

The following week, an eviction notice was handed out, and now here he was, standing out at the edge of an old gondola station platform, looking out into the dark, green, heavenly abyss.

Looking back, he was given a bad hand from the start. He tried his hardest to excel, he really did. He didn't have the skill set to go to college, nor the experience to thwart such a force as his second ex, or even the chance to make things right between him and his old friend—who he surprisingly still loved very much. There was nothing he could do. And if he were being honest with himself, he was fed up with it all; life’s bullshit. He was done. Now he was willing to take the only exit out of this situation that life had dealt him.

He looked down into the chasm while rain flowed from his fur to his snout. The darkness below him, it looked almost welcoming in a way. He looked up to the greenery above him then shut his eyes. Was he ready to commit such an act? Would it pain him that he couldn't say goodbye? Would his friends miss him? He was just another light in the vast skyline in the city. He doubted they would care.

He took a breath. Yes. It felt right. There wasn't really much to go back to anyway. If anything, there was one thing that could probably talk him out of it, but that was slim at best.

His mind was made up.

He lifted his foot from the old gondola platform…

“Charles?” a feminine voice called out behind him.

“Charlie?”

He hesitated. Someone managed to find him? The platform was abandond for years he thought. He opened his eyes and looked behind him. Two figures walked past a vehicle's headlights and slowly trudged toward him. A wolf and a sheep. He recognized these mammals.

“My friends…” he whispered. A light grin touched his muzzle before looking shamefully down to the ground. _Looks like I get to say goodbye after all._

He shut his eyes again and felt himself fall backwards towards the open air, his arms were outstretched, embracing this one true moment of peace.

“CHARLIE!” his ex screamed.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Charles awoke from his dream with a start, his whole body flinching awake. His eyes felt as if they were about to fly out of their sockets, and his heart wasn't faring any better. His body felt like the inside of a volcano. He needed to find his bearings.

Charles peered over to the sleeping tiger still curled up against the side of his body. His chest slowly raised and lowered, feeling the slow breath of his boyfriend blow through his fur. He hoped that he didn't disturb him in any way. The last thing he wanted was the wrath of Officer Fangmeyer at the wee hours of the morning. He'd be hauled down to the precinct for sure if Tommy had his way.

Over the next several minutes, Charles quickly found that he was unable to get himself back to sleep. He stared blankly at the ceiling of his apartment until he decided to sneakily crawl out of the comfy position he was in, and walked through the living room to the kitchen. While he went for a prepackaged single serving of coffee, his mind strayed back to the bone-chilling nightmare.

It wasn't the first time that this dream had made an unwanted appearance. It was more like a curse that proceeded to haunt him since that fateful day. He wished that he couldn't ever see that dream, that _nightmare_ , ever again. He hated it, even more so than his own parents. What made it even more surreal was that it was about events that _actually_ took place, and the dream always ended with him going through with what he had envisioned as his only escape, instead of Edward taking his paw at the very moment he thought of lifting his foot off of the ground. He couldn't imagine the thought of it now. Right?

It came as no surprise that his body was shaking in fear. Leaving his friends behind was an unbearable thought. He was fearful of leaving them behind, and coupled with the crippling vertigo he got from even the smallest of heights, he found out how difficult it was to deal with the aftermath of his actions. How stupid he was for even thinking about it in the first place. He couldn't even stare out of a second story window for more than a few seconds without having a panic attack or getting sick to his stomach. Maybe that's why he was always out and about instead of spending time at the office, or maybe even why he had a seat at the very end of the aisle? He was completely shocked that he didn't have a panic attack the Monday and Tuesday following Edward's return. He was barely able to keep his cool.

However, Charles needn't worry about himself. Something else mattered far more to him than his well being: Edward. Even after everything he put them through during their junior year, and even after his and Sharla’s wedding, Charles still cared for him. Was it weird that he cared so much about a mammal who was his ex and married to another mammal who was also his friend? Charles didn't particularly feel that to be the case. He loved Edward, yes, but that love had transformed into something else since that time back in high school. He loved the wolf like a brother, and he would do anything to protect his brother.

“Nope,” Charles shook his head with a small grin, picking up the freshly brewed cup of coffee from the single-serve coffee brewer, “still sounds weird.”

Edward was clearly falling apart. If his distance was any indication, he was in danger of falling deeper into the darkness. Yet, Edward insisted on toughing it out to prove that he could achieve his definition of ‘strong.’ What if Edward were to be consumed by this infatuation? What if he couldn't pull himself out of that mindset?

The grim thought of his nightmare becoming a reality again sent a chill down Charles’s spine, though he wasn't the one taking the fall; it would be Edward taking his place instead. Charles shook his head. He couldn't bear the thought of that even happening. He stared down into his warm cup of coffee and watched the steam rise and dissipate into the air. A sigh billowed from his snout.

“Hey,” a hoarse voice from the bedroom door called to him. The sleepy tiger dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers rubbed his eyes and strode over towards Charles.

“Hey, Tommy,” Charles grinned, kissing him as his groggy boyfriend wrapped his arms around Charles's midsection.

“I thought I felt you leave the bed.” Tommy checked the digital clock on the microwave beside him. “It's two o'clock in the morning. What's up?”

“Nothing to be too worried about, Tommy,” Charles attempted to reassure. “Woke up and decided to get some coffee to help lull me back to bed.”

“Well that sounded reassuring,” Tommy muttered sarcastically. “There’s literally no one on the planet except caffeine junkies and Wolford who’d get up solely for a cup of coffee.” Tommy slyly grinned, then proceeded to gently nab the cup from Charles's paw and sipped at it until they both eventually shared a laugh. He passed the cup back over to Charles before Tommy took the chance to prod further. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yeah,” Charles gave his hesitant response, unable to tell a credible lie. “You could say that.”

Tommy parted from the comfort of Charles's embrace and locked gazes. “It was that nightmare again, wasn't it?” he asked with a look of worry on his face.

Tommy seemed to be a tad bit more awake now in light of his observation, and Charles again couldn't save himself with something dishonest. He couldn't lie to him. He couldn't lie to the officer who took the time out of his day to check up on him and make sure he was okay. Charles gave him a nod, gaining a low, caring ‘aww’ and a sad-looking tiger. He let Tommy do what he did best: a hug, a kiss, and reassurances in his low, wonderfully perfect baritone voice.

“You're okay, Charlie. You’re okay,” Tommy repeated. “I love you very much, Charlie, and I'm sure that Edward and… Sharla, was it? They don't hate you for that. In fact, I think they would be proud of you after all you've been able to overcome.”

Charles almost forgot that he hadn’t properly introduced Edward until yesterday, and brought up Sharla when they sat down for dinner during a visit to the local diner late last month. Tommy was always working around the precinct or busy checking up on him at either his home or the hospital to meet either Sharla or Edward, so he thought at least mentioning them would be beneficial. Perhaps they could find the time to go on a double date together?

After making a quick mental note, Charles looked to him and questioned, “You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Tommy nodded. “You've gone through a fair share of issues that no mammal should have to face in their lifetime, and you've been able to get through them all.”

“Not as much as Edward,” the truthful comment slid in.

“No,” Tommy retorted, taking a paw away and waving his finger at him. He gave Charles a warm smile. “Don't do that. We're talking about you right now. I think Edward can wait for a couple of seconds so we can focus on the handsome-looking tiger in front of me.”

“It doesn’t mean that it’s not true,” Charles bashfully muttered with his head low.

“Well, even if that were the case,” his boyfriend shrugged, “it doesn't mean that you aren't permitted to think about yourself once and awhile, Charlie.”

There was that moment after Charles’s name dropped that caused him to stare blankly into his love’s cinnamon-colored irises. To be specific, Charles was more or less caught up with the notion of putting himself first before others. The thought alone made him uncomfortable. It went against his own set of personal beliefs.

Seeing this, Tommy gave him a smile and put a paw on Charles’s shoulder. “You have a life to live too. Don't get me wrong, your selflessness is one of your cutest qualities, and I love you for it. But, I've found it to be one of your greatest enemies as well. So far, all I've seen is you worrying about everyone else and their problems while you’re stuck still trying to repair yours in the process.”

Tommy took Charles’s paw into his own and brushed the side of his head. Charles blushed. The simple journalist felt it to be strange to see such a fire as bright as a dancer’s, let alone _police officer’s_ , swayed by a simple action such as hand-holding.

What felt stranger than that was the thought of putting his needs over the needs of others. Was it right? It didn't seem right. His needs weren't that important compared to those of his friends, and they surely weren't compared to the needs of someone like Edward.

While Charles continued to silently mull it over, Tommy continued.

“I know we’ve only been dating for six months now, but believe me when I say that you mean the world to me. I’ve never really felt anything such as strong as the bond between you and me. I probably sound crazy. That being said, I won't let you tear yourself up. In the words of the Chief himself, ‘It's your duty to protect those in the city and treat them like they're your family.’ You are no exception. I won't abandon you. I won't back down. I won't hate you, or blame you. I love you, Charlie.”

“I…” Charles attempted to speak, but found himself reeling from the words fluttering around in his head. He was speechless. He took a moment to breathe and attempted to speak again. “I… love you too, Tommy. Thank you.”

Thomas flashed a light grin and pulled Charles close, both tigers wrapping their arms around each other.

“No problem,” the officer replied. “Now, I think it's time that we headed back to bed. I don't know about you, but I have to get up in a few hours and I'm sure that Wolford won't be too happy if he has a cranky, tired partner to deal with while we're on our normal beat. Neither of us will hear the end of it.”

The pair of tigers shared a quick kiss before Tommy pulled Charles and his mug of coffee back into the dark abyss of his bedroom. Luckily for them, the darkness was considered to be a mild annoyance for two tigers with the ability to see in the dark. They both crawled back under the sheets and to their old positions before their little talk in the kitchen. Both tigers cuddled up close and got comfortable. The low purrs coming from Tommy rumbled deep in Charles’s chest. Charles was nearly lulled to sleep with that alone, but the officer’s voice managed to pull him away from sleep’s grasp.

“Why did you and Edward break up? If you don't mind me asking.”

Charles stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment at the question. Was this the first time that he’d been asked this by someone who he was dating? As far as he knew, this was the first time he’d been put in this kind of situation. Why did it feel awkward?

Although on top of feeling unexpected, he felt like he should have expected the question eventually, considering Tommy’s curious nature. It was the one thing he liked most about him.

He gave it a little bit of thought, a mental image of that time in high school giving him some bad vibes before he pulled Tommy closer into his chest.

“No, it's fine, Tom. We… we were too similar,” he said.

“I figured as much. With everything you've told me about him it seemed like you two had a lot in common. Maybe too much… Sorry, just curious, that's all.”

“You're fine, hon,” Charles mumbled as his eyes began closing.

Sleep came quickly for him after their short exchange, and soon the sun had begun peaking over the horizon to greet the city once again. The pair of tigers was met with a blaring alarm that nearly jolted Charles straight out of the bed. They both got ready for the day, sharing a cup of coffee, taking a long shower together, and finally hugging and kissing each other goodbye when they had to part ways at Savannah Central.

By that time, it was nearly seven o'clock in the morning when Charles checked his phone. He walked over to the local diner near the park and got himself some breakfast before making his way over to his ex’s apartment. He made sure to get to the _Grand Pangolin Arms_ early enough so his friend had enough time to get ready if he managed to miss his alarm. He was glad he did, because it seemed to be the case when he opened the door for him. Edward looked to be incredibly well rested, which Charles assumed was thanks to Sharla. Even in the dark, Charles could clearly see that she was still lying comfortably inside the bed. Her eyes were half open and she sported a blissful smile on her face.

He and Edward promptly left the building ten minutes later and walked to Savannah Central Station where Edward boarded the nine o'clock train traveling to the Burrows, leaving Charles to his own devices for the next few hours he had available. He was planning on heading back to bed with the time he had. After that phone call with his coworker Anders, he needed to be at his best if he wanted to get as much information as he could with these interviews.

Around two hours had passed before Charles was up and about in Savannah Central, ready to conduct another interview for his and Edward's story. If the details on Anders’s spreadsheet were correct, he should be nearing the home of one of the mammals that had turned into what the media and police called a ‘savage.’ What managed to shock him the most, however, was one of the names on the spreadsheet.

Though he never got to see or know her specifically, he was able to recognize that this mammal was one of his now ex-coworkers at the _Gazette_ : Kristy Blanc. Even he knew that her pieces surrounding anything related to Happytown were always exemplary. So naturally, when the reporter side of him saw her name on the list, Charles had to dig deeper. He couldn't believe that she would fall victim. He didn't want to. But, it only took one search input into Zoogle to put any doubts he had to bed.

On the front of one of the articles that ZNN posted to its website, the familiar snow leopard could be seen with the same slitted eyes Charles had noticed on most of the mammals that had turned. She was one of them. A ‘savage.’

“Dammit,” the word slipped as it was mumbled into the air.

Charles stuffed his phone into his inner blazer pocket. He was sure that Kristy was working diligently on a story the morning prior, so she must have been let go as early as this morning. And what better reason to let another one of the _Gazette’s_ finest slip away than the possibility of this kind of thing happening. Horn only threatened Edward with the thought of firing. But, now she had gone and taken action against someone who has brought well thought out and consistent work to the table.

Charles couldn't fathom how Danielle could find a reason for firing Kristy, but then again, if she was that confident as to let someone like Blanc go, Horn had to have a good reason behind it just to keep a lawsuit off of her hoofs.

This entire ordeal was infuriating to think about. If the desire to burst through her office door and give Horn a piece of his mind wasn't strong before, it was now a gargantuan-sized _want_. So before he went and blew a gasket over something that was out of his paws, Charles focused on keeping his mind as clear as possible for his eventual interview.

Charles fixed his gaze to the sapphire sky and took in the sights of the clouds. A flock of birds were flapping their wings overhead, moving south towards the bay….

“Hey Charles!” a distant voice called out.

The voice brought the tiger out of his trance as he tried searching for its source, eventually finding a  familiar black ewe sitting at a table on the other side of the street. She was waving her hoof at him. Charles cracked a smile and waved back at her before he kept on moving along the sidewalk. If his memory served him right, the destination was only a few crosswalks away.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Sharla brought her arm back down and watched as Charles turned his gaze back to the sidewalk. She cast a smile on her snout as a giggle quietly erupted in her throat.

The excitement of meeting one of her best friends from her childhood was starting to catch up with her rocket-paced mind. Even small games and ruminal activities—such as recalling her work, the RAM, and humming her favorite music—couldn't contain the giddiness she was feeling. However, she would try her damnedest to control herself.

One of these said games was one that she and her family played to pass the time when they were waiting at the doctor's or dentist’s office. They would give certain kinds of patients different point values for different mammals that they could find, even down to what items the mammal had on them. The rarer the mammal, the higher the score. The highest average score the family had gotten up to was a staggering 1,895 points—one trip to the dentist’s office, and another for a check-up.

Granted, they lived in a very lively section of the Burrows, so they had some of the busiest doctor’s and dentist’s offices in the county, besides the hospital near the outskirts of downtown that is.

_Would a Charles sighting amount to around twenty-five or thirty points?_ the thought poked around in her head.

She considered the fact that she hadn't seen him since the wedding, and before then off and on. Needless to say, she had a pretty decent grasp on the frequency of their meetings.

“Thirty,” she nodded. “Thirty sounds reasonable. He's wearing part of a suit… plus he's a reporter… maybe thirty-five?” The thought bounced around, teetering on whether or not his criteria met the standards to the rules of the game. Then, she realized one crucial detail. “He's a friend, so it's a thirty. That makes 210 so far—”

“Pardon me, miss,” a voice mumbled to the right of her, Sharla's gaze slowly bringing the coyote who the voice belonged to into view. “Would you like to order anything while you wait for your friend?”

The ewe shook her head and smiled, gesturing towards the glass resting on the table. “Just the water is fine for now, thank you.”

“Absolutely. If you need anything, don't be afraid to flag me down or look for me inside.”

“Sure thing… uh…”

“Will.”

“Thank you, Will.”

With a bow of his head, he scurried over to the next table in the outdoor seating section to serve the next hungry customer. She repeated the name several times in her head to embed it into her memory.

Sharla’s eyes shot back to the other side of the street to a now distant Charles, who was just turning the corner onto another road. Once her friend went out of view, she reveled in the biological prowess that was her vision, then began setting her sights on her surroundings.

Everything seemed to go at its normal pace—traffic moving through the streets and alleyways, mammals walking to and fro around in their herds and with their families, the sounds of car horns and distant sirens, and businesses flourishing as they normally did at this time of day. The city was as busy as ever. It was a shame that she never got to see it all that often because of her job at the Zootopia MASA station. It was half an hour away from the city, and her working hours made it so that she didn't get home until around six o'clock on a good day. So, seeing and experiencing the city felt like a small luxury to her. She counted Edward lucky. While he got to experience the city firsthand, she was stuck out near the countryside working on rockets all day long. Although, working on rockets was an awesome feat in and of itself.

On the other hand, seeing Zootopia move and flow around her was almost mesmerizing, even calming in a way. She almost wished that she could have another week to take it all in, because once this week was over, her team would be put into the limelight. No matter how much she wanted to stay in the city and explore its districts, work always beckoned her back to its boring clutches. At least the pay was more than adequate for their cheap, tiny apartment.

She took another glance around the streets and the sidewalks, watching the next wave of traffic and pedestrians move through. Sharla kept a close eye on the foot traffic that strolled along the fence next to her. Any mammal passing by the restaurant she was eating at could clearly be seen, a huge plus in regards to the game. Just after a minute she was able to add another 445 points to her total—two bickering couples, a class field trip, a family of rabbits, an interspecies couple, around ten angry bigots, and five angry protesters who made her think about adjusting their point values to something less than twenty points. The rising spike of protests around the city made the rare oddity into a common practice fairly quickly.

When Sharla and Edward returned from Charolete’s funeral last Sunday they were met with a fear and panic ridden city in light of Judy’s announcement—that predators around the city were going savage. On top of her husband being a sad mess over his mother's death, he was trying to cope with the fear of becoming this monster straight from the Stone Age. He almost called off of work the following Monday morning.

She couldn't help that the thought crossed her mind once or twice—the question of if her husband were to turn into a ‘savage.’ It was just her being cautious. It didn't sit right with her to just brush this issue off like it was nothing, it was potentially her life on the line. If the odds were flipped, Edward would do the same thing.

If her husband were to turn, what was there to do? She assumed that if they were in the apartment and if she were quick enough, she would be able to bolt out the door and lock it; that way, she could get help without the fear of anyone getting seriously injured. It seemed like a novel idea.

Past that, she really couldn't come up with any sort of plan. If they were out in the open like the park, there wasn't any cover besides packed businesses and communal areas. Sharla was at a loss. How could she protect herself if he turned then? She didn't have claws like Edward or Charles. Hell, she didn't even have horns…

She shook her head. “What am I thinking?”

Edward may be a wolf, but he was her husband above all else. If she should be concerned for anyone's safety, it would be his. He was just as scared as she was, if not moreso. He was the one being directly affected. In the coming weeks, she needed to find an effective way to help Edward not turn into a savage. If the trigger was tremendous stress like every doctor, news anchor, and mammal had been saying, then all Sharla had to do was alleviate his stress in any way she could.

Thankfully, this also meant that what she did for him the night prior appeared to be the right move, which brought her a little bit of relief. But, this was slight.

They would have to hunker down and talk about this issue realistically. The thought of Edward becoming one of those… savages, although bone-chilling, was very possible. There was no going around it. She was a prey animal, and he, a predator. If they didn't discuss it soon, they may not have a chance to.

The grim thought was cast out when a new, brighter thought took its place, bringing a warm grin to Sharla’s snout. _Maybe we could go on a date after he comes back from—_

Sharla's train of thought came to a screeching halt when she felt a couple of taps on her right shoulder. Her body tensed up and her ears flicked.

_Could it be…_

She prepared herself for the moment she had been waiting for all morning, standing up from her metal chair and turning around. The sight before her made the grin on her face shine brighter than before.

“Officer Hopps,” she greeted giddily to the rabbit clad in her police uniform.

“Hi Sharla,” she said back.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Edward took in the fresh air with a sniffle as he walked down the driveway towards the main road. Accompanying him was his father, who was now wearing that warm, fatherly smile that Edward only dreamed of seeing. Who would have thought that it would take such great lengths to get to this moment? He almost felt thankful that Danielle Horn assigned him this story in the first place. Without her, he and his father would never have been able to rekindle their friendship today. Although he was far from religious, Edward felt blessed.

However, he also had to remember why he was here. Yes, Horn had allowed him to get to this point, but he still had a job to do. Edward still had two days to come up with content for a story, and all he had to work on was an interview and a hunch that may not be correct at all. In fact, it was very possible that he could be miles from where he needed to be.

Did Alabaster have what he needed? Would his father's information suffice? Edward had no idea, but he had to try. He needed to try. That deadline was dangerously close and his job was right in the crosshairs.

Edward pulled out the phone from his front pocket and readied his recording application. He took a deep breath before he tapped down on the recording button.

“Snow Interview. Thursday, May 26th, 2016.” The two of them turned to the edge of the field and walked in between the rows of purple flowers to their left and their farm’s crop still growing to the right. Edward turned his head to his father while he held up the phone in his right paw. “Since we've already gone through the pleasantries, I'm going to get straight to the point. Is that fine?”

“By all means,” Alabaster nodded.

“Good,” Edward grinned. His gaze broke from his father’s eyes and transferred over to the plants on his right, their bright purple hue blaring into his vision. “As you already know, I'm gathering information for a story I'm writing. I was wondering, what can you tell me about these plants over here, the bright purple ones?”

“Them? Those are Midnicampum Holicithias. I use them to keep bugs and other insects off of the produce. Besides that, I use the chemical back in the storehouse to make sure that I’ve got enough protection on the crop. The last thing I want is for bugs to make a mess out of our hard work.”

“Hmm…” That wasn't enough information to go off of. If anything, it left Edward completely unsatisfied. Perhaps there was more to these flowers? Edward stared at the plants curiously before his question formed into words. “Could you possibly give me a little bit more information?”

“Sure,” Alabaster complied. “Since plant husbandry is kind of a requirement for being a farmer, I made sure that I did a little research before I went ahead and took on the profession fully. When I found that others around here were using these plants to protect their crops, I decided that I should join the bandwagon and get some of these for myself, them being the best plant to use and all. But little did I know that there was a lot more to these plants than meets the eye. In the plant husbandry world, we have different classes for different kinds of plants, broken down into letter groups that are based on the kind of plant they are and the characteristics they have. I don't want to waste your time by explaining all the different classes, so to put it simply, Midnicampums are a Class C botanical. All you need to know is that these flowers are dangerous to handle.”

A brow raised on Edward’s head. “How so?”

“The plant naturally gives off a chemical that is toxic to other mammals. I've only heard this from stories around town, so don't quote me on this. I've heard that one of the Hoppses got bit after a relative in their family ingested one of the plants whole. Even another time here at the farm, while you and your brother were fighting, you boys got too rough and Gary ended up ingesting one as well. We had to get him to the hospital so he could have the chance to cool off for a bit and get the chemical out of his system. As you can see, it's good for bugs, but not for us.”

“If it's so dangerous, why use it?”

“As I said before, it's one of the most effective natural pesticides to use on the farm. It's effective, and you don't have to use manufactured chemicals, so a lot of farmers turn to it. However, because of their dangerous qualities, hardly anybody stocks them, which makes them extremely hard to find, especially in the city. Trust me, your mother and I tried looking. So over time, we reached out to different botanical stores in the city of Zootopia and in downtown Bunnyburrow, slowly building up our stock enough to start out. That's when me and your mother started farming.”

“Did they go by different names?” Edward asked. “Mindy… Mindy carp… it’s scientific name is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Sure there is,” Alabaster beamed. “Its original name can be a handful, so some of us here in the Burrows call them Nighthowlers for short. You know, because Holicithias kind of sounds like howl in a way? Plus, they sort of look like…”

Alabaster's voice trailed off as Edward came to a slow stop at the mention of the name. His arms fell to their sides. It was _that_ name. The one he was searching for. He felt numb from the shock. His phone nearly dropped to the ground. His hunch… his hunch was correct. He couldn't believe it.

Nighthowlers were plants, not a security group.  He knew it, he followed his gut, and now he had proof. This was a lot to take in. There were so many questions now that had seemingly popped into existence in a single moment, like the Big Bang only it was one-hundred times bigger.

There was also another possibility that stemmed from this new revelation: what if something far bigger was going on that he had yet to realize?

Call it a hunch, but these turn of events didn't sit well with Edward. If these Nighthowlers were truely the thing he was looking for and not his brother's security group, then how were mammals in Zootopia getting their paws on the flower in the first place if they were this volitile? Furthermore, with Nighthowlers in the limelight, how were mammals who came into contact with the flower still under it's effects? As his father explained, it sounded like what happened to Gary and the Hoppses only lasted for a short time. To be under the influence of these flowers for this long seemed impossible. It sounded like some conspirasy.

The deadline for his story was cast out to the far reaches of his mind just imagining the sheer volume of work that lied ahead of him. This wasn't something for one lowly reporter to handle. This was a job for the police, someone who's voice actually mattered, someone like Judy. Then again, who would believe him? One tiny plant being the cause of all the savageness going on in the city? Surely no one would believe him. Not someone like him. Not without evidence at least.

Edward had to think about this. There were too many factors, so many questions, so much information to take in—

“Edward,” Alabaster shook him out of his trance, “are you okay?”

Clearing his throat, the silver wolf flashed his father a convincing smile and continued down the row of crops. “I-I’m fine, dad. Thank you. I think I have everything I need for this interview.”

“Glad I could help.”

Edward tapped down on the red button on his screen to end the recording, saving it onto his phone, then sent it to himself in an email along with one other recipient, Charles. He needed to hear this. They needed to be on the same page in order to come to an accurate conclusion.

Edward looked down at his paws, noting that they were visibly shaking. The silver wolf went and stuffed them along with his phone into the depths of his pockets.

The reminder from Charles about obtaining more information fluttered around in his head. How relevant that request seemed now. For anyone to believe his story, Edward needed more information, more facts to strengthen his new argument, his new discovery. He could already imagine the headline: ‘ _Nighthowlers: the Cause of the Savagery.’_ Could a measly flower really do that much damage to so many innocent mammals?

What if this was something more? What if this was a chance to make a connection, to bridge the gap that so many mammals were struggling to figure out—how were predators going savage? What if he and Charles were the ones to solve this case, discover the solution? Edward was more than likely blowing this way out of proportion.

Then again, this was crucial information. Information that not only pertained to him as a predatory animal, but to ten percent of the population of Zootopia. He could save countless lives, including Sharla’s.

Edward paused and replayed that last thought. _I can save Sharla…_ he partially mouthed.

Was he scared, or was he relieved? Determined, maybe? He couldn't wrap his head around it all. So much to do, and how little time he had to spare.

It was decided. Edward had to do this. Not for himself, but for Sharla, and potentially the whole city. And he wasn't doing anything while standing around on some farm in the countryside.

_I need to dig deeper,_ Edward thought to himself, quietly planning out the next interview in his head.

The two wolves strolled quietly though the row before turning towards the house, Edward taking in the sights as his mind raced behind the scenes. After a couple more seconds of silence, his father’s voice filled the air.

“How's Gary doing?” Alabaster asked.


	12. Old Grudges

“How’s Gary doing?”

Edward’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt, his pace beginning to slow along with it while his mind attempted to process the question, different emotions coming to light the more he thought about it. Confusion and curiosity came first as to the nature of what was asked, then the anxiousness and, more prominently, fear, knowing full well what that name entailed. Finally came the sheer desolation.

Then, a fuzzy memory loomed over in his head like a shadow. From what he could recall, it was of his brother, some sort of argument that made him wish ill-will on him, but one that reminded Edward of his proper place with the family, with life in general. A grim reminder played over in his head, an age-old truth, plain as day.

_“You mean nothing…”_

The silver wolf quickly shook away his brother’s echoing words and took a calming breath, forcing away the darker thoughts that attempted to cloud what was supposed to be a relaxing walk with his father. He wasted no time trying to catch back up to Alabaster's side, the eldest wolf looking fondly out towards the house. It seemed as if he didn't notice Edward's reluctance, so the silver wolf attempted to play it off like it was nothing.

When he felt ready, Edward calmly took in a breath and let his curiosity do the work for him while the fear and anxiousness caused the words to get caught uncomfortably in his throat. It felt as if he were still conducting the interview.

“W-why do you ask?”

Alabaster shrugged. “I thought you might know what he's been up to lately. I haven't seen him since you and… Sharla, was it?” His father’s head hung low after his question, quick to apologize. “I'm sorry, I should properly know my own daughter-in-law’s name, shouldn't I?”

Although his father's words pained him a bit knowing he still didn't properly know Sharla's name, Edward wasn't surprised. Alabaster had shut both of them out for quite some time, and the fact that he had made an attempt to remember was enough to make him happy.

“No, no,” Edward assured, “you got it right. You haven’t really met her apart from when I was back in high school and when I moved out, not to mention the wedding. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

“Thank you,” Alabaster said with a smile. “I’ll try to get it right from now on. But, back to what I meant to say. I haven't talked with Gary since your wedding. When we did get a chance to speak with each other, he seemed to show this sort of… well, how should I put it, abhorrence?”

“Really?”

Alabaster nodded. “He wasn’t too keen on talking about work, and he was pretty resistant to sharing anything about his personal life. It took Lawrence to finally get him to start talking. It felt like he was… angry at me.”

Edward raised a brow. Needless to say, he was shocked. When they were pups, Gary adored Alabaster. It even got to the point where he was always trying to prove himself and show that he was the smartest and strongest out of the three of them. Most of the time, it seemed that way. He made it clear to Lavender and Edward that it was his dream to work on the farm and eventually inherit it to improve on what his father had done over the years, and nothing would stand in his way.

Before the final decision was made, Edward was college-bound, leaving the farm and his family behind with the full support of their mother. If he were being honest with himself, he would have never been in contention by any means, not that he wanted it anyways. He had a dream of his own to work towards and he wasn’t going to achieve it back at home.

That left Gary and Lavender. Considering their sister was the one still living in their old home with her two pups that had just recently been born, Edward had to assume that their sister had taken up the mantle and inherited the farm, effectively stealing the dream Gary had.

From what Alabaster implied, Gary still appeared to be agitated with the final outcome. For what it was worth, Edward understood where his brother was coming from. To work so hard for something, only to have it stolen from you in a single moment—the thought alone was heartbreaking, which made it even stranger to remember that the same thing was threatening to happen to Edward. But…

“Maybe it had something to do with giving Lavender the farm,” Alabaster contemplated as both wolves neared the edge of the farm toward the side of the house. “Your mother convinced me—well, told me actually—to give over the farm to her. She just gave birth to two wonderful pups with a poor excuse of a father and nowhere else to go, so it seemed like the logical choice at the time. And seeing how Lavender’s hasty marriage ended up, I'm glad I gave the reins to her. Gary didn't take to the news well. He stormed off before I could stop him, and I haven't seen or heard from him since. To put it simply, he vanished. Next thing I know, he has a job, a home, and a husband. Charolete and I didn't get to attend his wedding, but she was the one who called and congratulated the two. She wanted the best for her son, regardless if he continued to push us away. Knowing he was happy with Larry made her happy too, and that's all she ever wanted.

“With Charolete gone, all I want now is to reconnect and put aside what happened years ago, to tell him how proud I am of him, but he won't even return my calls.”

The pair strode around the house and up the steps of the front porch, stopping at the rocking chairs under the canopy. Alabaster let out a sigh as he leaned against the top of the wooden railing.

“No matter how you look at it, there was really no way of getting out of this predicament. If I would have chosen Gary, Lavender would have been stuck with nothing and a pair of pups to look after. Yes, she still had the farm to call her home, but would she ever be truly satisfied with that outcome? Out of the three of you, Gary had the most promise with a life outside of the farm. He was good, yes, but he wasn't nearly as experienced as your sister.

“Part of me is convinced that I made the wrong decision in choosing Lavender based solely on how Gary was treated in the end. We hardly even mention his name around here. But... I don't know.” The elder wolf stood back up and turned to Edward with a small trace of a smile on his muzzle. “Sorry, I went off on a tangent again.”

Edward shook his head. “Don't worry about it. Getting it off your chest is important. If… if you want my two cents, if I'm being completely honest, I think you made the right call.”

The corner of his father’s mouth raised. “You think so?”

Edward nodded. “Absolutely. Lavender deserved to take up the family business. She really didn't have anywhere else to go with Theodor and Marianne and the absence of the father, plus she didn't really have any goals or dreams besides working on the farm, and she’s damn good at it. She was the obvious choice. Gary, on the other paw, I can only assume that he only wanted the farm for his own selfish reasons, probably to prove a point if I could guess. If I'm being honest, and this may be my grudges against him talking, but I think that he needed to be brought down a peg or two. He's cocky, he's arrogant, persistent, not to mention rude…”

A faint growl built up in his throat, only stopping when his father turned with his ears aimed towards him. Edward would have added on to that growing list if he didn't manage to catch himself. He considered how guilty Alabaster would feel rehashing old grudges and wounds, so instead, Edward dropped what he was saying and made his point.

“You didn't do anything wrong, Alabaster. In fact, you made the right call. Gary wasn't ready for it for plenty of reasons, Lavender knows everything inside and out and does everything to the letter. She was definitely a good choice. I'm sure she'll do well now that she has her little helpers prowling around the place.”

The snowy elder wolf chuckled, bringing a grin to Edward's muzzle. “It'll be like old times. Maybe with a little less animosity,” Alabaster said.

“A little?”

Both wolves simultaneously broke out into a jovial laugh, filling the air with booming sound. They both were enjoying their time together. Edward couldn’t believe how good he felt. He was actually _bonding_ with Alabaster—his father, the mammal he resented for years—for what seemed like the very first time.

A minute later their laughing finally died down and turned into an awkward silence that made Edward spin into a mindset full of semi-anxious pondering. Edward eventually turned to Alabaster out of curiosity, only to find him looking out past the Hopps’ farm and toward the horizon. He looked calm, even content with that warm smile pleasantly apparent on his muzzle, proving to be infectious as one formed on Edward too.

Edward had nearly forgot how beautiful the Burrows were. It had been so long since he had last seen these wonderful sights—the late-spring sunlight, the rolling hills, the trees, the wind brushing the crops in the fields—he couldn’t quite put the feeling into words. A vivid memory from years ago played over in his head. He was a twelve-year-old pup at the time, helping Charolete outside with weeding and maintaining their front garden while they talked about books, cooking, and the questions that arose from them. It was peaceful, just as it was now.

So there he stood, watching the setting with nostalgic eyes while his happiness began to unravel the tension that had accumulated over the years.

Though, he couldn't help the residual doubt that he felt towards Alabaster. Questions of what his father’s true intentions were (if any) for accepting the interview, as well as giving Edward what seemed like a sincere apology, raised enough red flags to start making him just a little bit suspect.

What was he planning? Was there something else past the apology that he wasn't telling him? And if so, what could he possibly want with him? Did he truly mean what he said about holding on to the past? How awful was it that he couldn't even trust his own father—

“You know,” Alabaster spoke, breaking up Edward's train of thought, “I still remember the times when me and your mother sat out here on this porch, talking all about our lives, our hopes, our dreams. It feels like yesterday that we were here talking about attending your wedding. I was resilient on going as you can imagine. But your mother? She was ecstatic. She couldn't wait to go and see you two.”

He paused, his gaze downcast toward the ground. It almost looked as if he was apprehensive as he struggled to find his footing again. Eventually he did manage to find his voice again, his baritone thin and quiet, practically a mumble when he spoke.

“I'm honestly glad that you made it down here, Edward. The only other time I truly felt alone was when my father died all that time ago. Sure, Lavender and the kids keep me company, but it's just not the same. She was my true love. Charolete meant the world to me. She loved me at my worst and cherished me at my best. She kept me from destroying myself. With your mother gone…” he paused for a moment, almost reeling to find the words, “...let's just say I couldn't tell you how thankful I am for the company. It took me a while to finally start correcting myself, but I want to make it right by you. I swear I will.”

His words tugged warmly at Edward's heart, the touching moment resonating with the silver wolf. “Dad…”

Alabaster’s ears perked as he turned his head toward his son, his eyes staring blankly at Edward’s for a moment before bringing back his smile.

He couldn't put his paw on it, but there was something deep down that Edward couldn't deny: he believed in his father—his apology, his story, everything. He had to guess it was the hint of longing in Alabaster's tone, or perhaps it was this immense sadness that just broke Edward's heart.

He missed Charolete. He missed everything about her. But, Edward's longing paled in comparison to what Alabaster was feeling. His father was completely lost, trying to find his way alone in a whirlwind without that anchor to help weigh him down. He was alone. Now his father was trying to pick up the pieces scattered around in this storm in an attempt to mend the relationships that he so carelessly tossed aside before Edward, Lavender, and Gary were born.

So far, Alabaster seemed genuine, even caring. For Edward, that was all he ever wanted from him. Though, he had to admit that the feeling was entirely foreign to him. As long as he remained that way, he had no problem with his father. Edward was happy to be there with him.

Alabaster opened his maw for a moment to beckon some sort of reply, only to be rudely interrupted by the roar of his stomach. A light chuckle bounced around in the back of Edward’s throat, Alabaster eventually doing the same as crimson flushed under the fur on his face.

The elder wolf placed a paw on Edward's shoulder and finally spoke under his laughing, “Why don't we go back inside. I'm sure Mary and Theodor would be happy to see you.”

“Sure,” Edward complied, both wolves motioning towards the front door.

Once inside, they wiped the bottoms of their feet on the rug to remove any excess dirt that their pads or fur collected while walking through the fields. The scent of food hit Edward almost immediately and made his mouth begin to water. Edward wasn’t certain, but he had a hunch that it was something bug-based.

But before he had the chance to be distracted, Edward made sure to remember why he was there in the first place.

“Hey, dad,” he asked hesitantly.

“What's on your mind, son?”

“I was wondering, I have to get a little more information for my story so that I can have multiple sources and a wider spread of data, so would you mind taking me to some of the other farmers in the area?”

“I don't mind at all. Just tell me who we're meeting and where we're going then we can head out.”

“Um…” Edward looked away awkwardly, mumbling under his breath, “I actually don't properly know the other farmers around here… or rather, I can't remember—”

“Then I guess we’ll have to work together,” Alabaster said.

Edward glanced back over at his father, gaining yet another smile from him that in turn brought one on Edward's muzzle as well. With happiness being in such short supply nowadays in the Snow household, each laugh and grin was treasured.

“Come on,” his father spoke, patting his arm before moving on ahead of him into the dining room, “Lavender and the kids are waiting.”

“Y-yeah,” Edward hesitantly replied, following behind at a leisurely pace.

Alabaster didn’t pay much regard for Edward’s own apprehension, and it seemed that he didn’t notice either. If he were being honest, Edward was glad. With how well they were getting along so far, the last thing he wanted to do was sully the newfound relationship between him and his father over something so minor as the thought of Lavender verbally degrading him again. After years of tension, both of them deserved that much.

Taking his mind off of more negative thoughts, he took the chance to take a look around the room. At first glance, the dining room appeared unchanged—same pink paw print wallpaper, same family photographs and curtains along the walls and windows, same solid oak table, everything. He stopped at the end of the table to lean on the back of the wooden chair that would have been Alabaster’s spot, his eyes encapsulated on the finer details of the room.

Aunt Veranda was naturally the first thing Edward noticed amongst the pictures along the back wall given the unnatural appearance of her pink cotton candy-colored fur, a smiling Charolete next to her in the same frame, frozen in time. Behind the two of them were their parents, whom Edward couldn’t properly recall, their mother wearing a similarly bright expression while their father held a hint of a smile. The photo itself was informal—a blown-up version of a selfie—only  making it stand out further from what they showed on the wall.

When Edward was still a teenager, Veranda was pretty cool for an aunt in his eyes. She did what she wanted and didn’t care much for how mammals perceived her, making it a point to shove that ideal in others’ faces if they had any quarrel over it. She was the very epitome of rebelliousness, and if Edward were a betting mammal, that was exactly why she became an artist to begin with.

Apart from that, she was also one of the only mammals in her family besides his mother to encourage Edward to step aside from the farm and the family after high school and focus on himself and Sharla, to go against his father’s focus on the notion of “pack mentality” and the idea of it being wrong to be in a relationship with a mammal who wasn’t the same species or was the natural prey of his species. If he ever had any questions that he wasn’t comfortable sharing with his mother, he made it a point to contact Veranda instead. She was bold, to the point, and headstrong, not to mention her high levels of tenacity and spirit. She was everything he wished he could be. Well, almost. Her brunt nature was at times too much for Edward, and on the verge of annoyance at some points. But, she was family. He appreciated her input and acceptance, and in turn she put him on the right path, eventually leading to his marriage.

With a warm thought now happily embedded in his head, Edward moved on to the next picture on the far left, which was a photo of Alabaster’s father and three other siblings: Angelica, Walter, and Valentine. Looking at each of the plain, stagnant faces in the photograph took away from the smile he obtained earlier. The picture wasn’t bad by any means, in fact the picture looked to be done professionally. It was rather the stark contrast from Veranda’s photo to Norman’s photo that sparked some interest for Edward. It was almost as if both were from completely different worlds.

In terms of the mammals who were in the frame, he could vividly recall Walter and Angelica from the parties they’d attend for birthdays and formal functions regarding the success of their separate businesses located in uptown New Pork and Califurnia, respectively, and Valentine when he was able to get the chance. He couldn’t remember correctly, but Edward was sure that he was stationed overseas as a member of the armed forces. The only mammal in that photograph he hadn’t met was Norman, though he already knew enough to gather who he was—a single father, farmer, kind and, like Alabaster, uptight by the looks of his pristine suit and the rest of his family in their dapper attire. Edward almost wished he could’ve met his grandfather, but it seemed that he would never get that chance.

Other than the newer photos of Edward and his brother and sister, Charolete and Alabaster in their younger years, and Lavender’s children, that left the photo in between Veranda’s picture and Norman’s, which was an updated version of the family photo, complete with every living relative and family member from nearly ten years ago. This included pup versions of Edward, Lavender, and Gary, while also showing Alabaster’s three other siblings, their wives, kids, and husbands, and Charolete’s side of the family that included her, her sister and parents—as well as their relatives. In the picture, elders sat in chairs at the front, kids behind them, mothers and aunts to follow, and finally the leaders of each pack made what was the Snow family portrait.

Each mammal in the frame was doing something different. The aunts and mothers were either holding, parenting, or caressing their pups, the pups who were old enough were getting antsy, and the fathers and elders were trying to either keep their cool or try to help the situation, which left for some pretty interesting faces and expressions. Oddly enough, Edward knew every face, and almost every name of who was in the picture. Some would call it a cluster, others would call it bad, but Edward thought of it as “us.” In the picture, he was one of the few who were putting on the biggest smile they could, despite the constantly arguing Lavender and Gary next to him. If it were up to him, as surprising as it may seem considering everything, he came to the conclusion that he really couldn’t have it any other way—

“Uncle Eddy!” came the giddy voice of Mary as she rushed over towards Edward from the kitchen, casting him out of his thoughts and to the young wolf rushing towards him.

 _Dang it,_ he thought to himself, _I need to stop getting distracted._

Edward was soon pulled into a hug, the silver wolf making sure to hug the pup back and greet her with a bright, “Hey, Mary.”

Edward lifted his head and peered into the kitchen, managing to catch a curious glance from Lavender behind the center island, whose paws were holding both a plate of eight bug patties and a plate of six tofu patties.

Before Edward had the chance to question the strange number of tofu burgers, and think about the fresh wounds from the conversation he had with his sister earlier in the day, Theodor’s voice boomed as he appeared around the corner of the center island, haphazardly holding a platter of sesame seed buns. “We made some bug and tofu burgers!”

“And some fries,” Mary added.

“Sounds wonderful,” Edward grinned.

“Why don’t you go help your brother, Mary,” Alabaster chuckled as he spoke quietly to her.

“Okay!”

Mary ran over to help Theodor, taking the other end of the platter. The two of them made their way over to the dining room and hoisted the buns onto the table, pushing them to the center. Lavender followed closely behind with both platters of burgers and placed each on opposite sides of the table. More specifically, she placed the platter of bug patties on the side where Lavender and Alabaster used to sit, and the tofu burgers where Edward normally sat.

Once again, Edward was met with the same question as before: what was with all of those tofu burgers? As far as he knew, he was the only one to eat them in his entire family besides the Mcdewegells, but even they preferred bug burgers, especially Sharla. He wasn’t able to investigate for long, however. Everyone had already gathered around the table.

Edward quickly made his way over to his seat while Alabaster took his place at the head of the table, Lavender taking her spot at the left of him while Theodor sat across from her.

“Who made the burgers this time?” Alabaster asked.

“I did,” proudly spoke an energetic Mary as she climbed onto the chair across from Edward.

“I did too,” Theodor chimed in.

“Well, I can’t wait to try them,” Alabaster smirked, grabbing a bug patty.

Out of respect for the pack, Alabaster was the first to make his plate as the Alpha. Edward put forth the effort to abstain the need to start digging in until his father was finished. Disrespect was the last thing he wanted for their newfound relationship. Once he was all set, everyone else followed suit, aiming for their respective preferences of food, asking politely for buns and condiments to perfect their creations.

Edward opted for a plain tofu burger, which were packed with various greens (spinach, watercress, and tatsoi to be specific) and looked to be seasoned well based on what he smelt. It was almost as good as what Charolete used to make. Edward also found that they were packed nicely. They didn’t break apart on the touch like tofu normally did.

He finally added a dash of pepper and a couple shakes of salt to the top of the patty, placing a layer of cheddar cheese before enclosing it in a pair of freshly toasted sesame seed buns. On the table was also an array of other toppings, such as diced jalapeños, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, but Edward decided against them in favor of the plain cheeseburger he loved.

Edward looked up from his plate to find that Lavender was still piling on some diced jalapeño peppers, while Theodor was already taking his first bite. Directly across from him, Mary was still making her burger, only just now putting the tofu patty on the bun on her plate.

 _Tofu…_ Edward noticed, then said, “Well, it looks like I’m finally not the only one in the family who enjoys tofu.”

Mary giggled with a nod. “Bugs are gross. They don’t even taste that good either.”

“I agree,” Edward said.

“I beg to differ,” Alabaster muttered with his mouth full. “For not liking bug burgers, your guys’ burgers taste wonderful. Charolete would be proud.”

Mary and Theodor beamed, a blush appearing on Mary’s face. She then took her first bite, prompting Edward to take his as well.

The moment the food hit his tongue, his taste buds went wild. The euphoria of freshness and flavor felt energizing and familiar, almost nostalgic in a way. The greens and seasoning blended together nicely. In addition, the greens also helped make the burger feel all the more fresh. Keeping with this Mammalia-themed meal were the bowls of french fries that sat with each plate of burgers on opposite ends of the table. Edward took a marginal amount, sprinkled some salt and pepper on them, and left the rest to be consumed by the rest of his family.

The remainder of the meal for Edward was spent mostly in awkward silence. Lavender and Alabaster went on about what needed to happen with the farm after lunch and going forward while Mary and Theodor were trying their best to pay attention, because for them this would eventually become their chores. In the meantime, they found themselves making sure the dishes around them were stacked and ready to head into the kitchen for cleaning.

Personally, Edward hated talking about the farm, especially when it came down to chores and farm work. Furthermore, he also felt it out of place to start some pointless smalltalk. Although he was comfortable enough talking with Alabaster, Lavender and him weren’t on cordial terms yet, and combined with the fear that she may very well instigate some fight to make him look bad in front of her kids or their father, he felt that being silent was the best option...

“Uncle Eddy?”

...Until Mary decided with her squeaky, pint-sized voice to take it upon herself in bringing Edward into some form of conversation. Was it to make him feel included?

Whatever the reason, he made sure to put on a smile and nonchalantly let her ask whatever was on her mind.

“Yes, Mary?”

“Grandma and Grandpa said you live in Zootopia.”

Edward tilted his head. His reluctance stemmed in the confusion of his reply. “Yes?”

Her face lit up like a firework. She gasped, “That’s so cool! What’s it like?!”

“I, uh…”

Edward looked around the table. It seemed that both Lavender and Alabaster had finished conversing about the farm. Theodor’s tail wagged excitedly back and forth as he stood in his chair. Alabaster smiled at the children. Lavender shot her son a stern glare. In an instant, the pup fell back down into his seat, still showing mild signs of excitement as he bounced around, waiting for an answer.

All eyes fell on Edward. He could tell that he was nervous, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. Perhaps the prejudice played a role in his hesitation? The fear that he may sully the children’s view of the city ‘ _where anyone can be anything?_ ’

He let out a silent breath and opened his maw with a forceful smile.

“It’s the greatest place on Earth. The city is so pretty and so shiny, it’s full of many different places and environments to explore, and every day you get to see mammals of all shapes and sizes—from the tiniest mouse to the biggest elephant—working and living together in harmony.”

“What kind of places?” asked Theodor.

“Well,” Edward continued, “there’s Tundratown where it’s snowy and icy all the time. Then there’s Sahara Square, the hottest district in the city. My favorite though is the Rainforest District.”

“Why is that your favorite, Uncle Eddy?” Mary piped up.

“I like it because it rains all the time there. It helps me relax when I’m feeling mad or sad, and it helps me think when I’m working on a big story. The moist air, the pitter-patter on the leaves, the rain soaking through your fur…”

“I don’t like it when my fur gets wet,” Theodor admitted.

“Me neither,” Mary agreed.

“I guess I’m the only one, then.”

Edward smiled. He remembered when he was young, dreaming of getting away and moving to the big city and becoming something better, something stronger. The magnificent city of Zootopia, the place where dreams began. That vision seemed so skewed now that he was older.

Curious, Edward prodded a little bit and directed a question the kids’ way. “What do you two want to be when you grow up?”

“I wanna be a farmer, like mom,” came Theodor’s quick answer.

“I want to be a chef,” spoke a confident Mary. “Grandma liked to cook, and I like it too, so… I wanna be just like her.”

“Your Grandma Charolete loved to cook,” Alabaster said. “She made sure to cook any chance she could get—making lunches for the kids before school, homemade dishes to family gatherings, cakes for birthday parties, you name it. She had some incredible talent.”

“She really did,” Edward grinned.

“But that’s not the half of it. You know, she had a way of dropping the biggest news bombs without warning. Here’s one that she dropped when we were eating alone one night—you lot were fast asleep at the time: Did you know she got the chance to shadow that famous chef Gordon Ramsay? I think he even offered her a head chef position at one of his restaurants.”

Edward’s jaw dropped. The world famous ewe chef offered his mother a leading position in the kitchen? To say he was aghast was an understatement.

“Are you serious?” Edward asked. Alabaster nodded. “W-what happened?”

“You know how Charolete was,” Alabaster smirked. “She loved her family. At the time, you three were just starting elementary school. Taking the job meant that you three would’ve had to move all the way to Paris, attend a new school, learn a whole new language, meet new friends, it was going to be hard to adjust. Your mom just couldn’t fathom it. Plus, she would have been a whole ocean away from the rest of her family too, and she just couldn’t live with that. What if her parents or sister got sick and she couldn’t see them? She wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

“Whatever she decided, I was in full agreement. The farm wasn’t doing well thanks to a stark season, and it was beginning to cost us more the longer it ran. But, she was insistent on not letting me abandon that dream I had when I was younger. Something about keeping my father’s memory alive if I had to guess. Not even the offer of a six-figure income or free education for her children could sway her. She was dead set on ‘Bunnyburrow or bust.’ After, Ramsay praised her for the decision and stood by it. He gave us his contact and offered the two of us a visit to the opening night of the restaurant instead. And you can bet we took that offer.”

“Wow,” Mary said, awestruck.

“How was the food?”

“Unbelievable. You can’t get any better than France.”

From what his father implied, Edward believed it. To be acclaimed by such an iconic chef and then have the chance to not only be offered a job at one of his restaurants, but be invited to attend that opening night instead? It seemed that Charolete had some pretty deep connections in the cooking world.

With that said, something else came to mind, prompting another question.

“Does… does he know?”

Like a punch to the gut, Alabaster’s expression changed to a more somber look, trying to maintain the smile he had to keep face.

“I informed him a couple of days ago. He gave his condolences to our family, and promised to visit when he had the time.”

“He seems really nice, far from what I expected from the barking mad chef that I see on TV.”

“He really is,” Alabaster grinned. “But enough about that. On the topic of family, I’ve been meaning to ask, how are you and Sharla doing?”

Three heads turned to Edward, Lavender noticeably rolling her eyes and looking off to the side. Anxiety crept over his shoulder, prompting a light shiver to go down his spine.

“W-we’re doing fine,” he stammered. “Sharla recently got done testing out a new rocket for MASA. She’s the lead engineer on the project.”

“That’s incredible, Edward.” Alabaster praised. “It’s definitely something that I couldn’t do. Math was never my strong suit. You must be proud.”

“I am. Although she isn’t an astronaut like she dreamed, she couldn’t be happier with what she’s doing. As long as she’s helping pave the way for mammals to eventually colonize other planets, she’ll continue to keep moving forward.”

“That’s so cool,” Theodor muttered low. “I wonder if I could do that…”

“If you put your mind to it, Theo, I’m sure that you could.” Edward could see that Lavender once again showed some sort of dismissal to his reply, but in spite of her he continued, reiterating his city’s mantra. “Zootopia is a place where anyone can be anything. If you want to be a chef, be the best that you can dream of. If you want to be a rocket engineer, reach for the stars. Even if you just want to be a farmer, Zootopia can help you achieve that dream. You just have to go for it.”

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Lavender inquired, cutting off the tail end of what felt like a motivational speech for something completely off-topic. “Where is your wife anyways? If you two are inseparable as your tiger friend claimed, why isn’t she here with us now?”

There was a pause after Lavender made her point, Mary frowning when she realized as well. She asked, “Where’s Auntie Sharla?”

“S-She’s… meeting an old friend today,” Edward quickly answered. “She’s catching up with Judy.”

Lavender raised a brow. “Who?”

“Hopps, Judy Hopps.”

“That wannabe cop?”

“Actually, she _is_ a cop. The first rabbit officer in Zootopia as a matter of fact.”

“Oh well that’s convenient. Your wife dips out of seeing the family so she can talk to some friend? Talk about typical. You probably told her not to come. Or,” she lingered, “maybe it has to do with us ‘savages?’”

The purple-eyed wolf raised a brow at her brother and crossed her arms, Edward feeling increasingly worse as his ears flattened behind his head, his eyes cast defeatedly away to the far corner of the room. She read him like a book, again. Not only that, she had called him out on it in front of not only the kids, but his father as well. She eventually scoffed and gave up prying some reaction out of Edward, turning her head away from him altogether.

There was a long moment of silence between the two siblings, the tension in the room continuing to build. The kids easily caught on to it, looking a mix between disappointed and perplexed.

“Why don’t you two play some catch outside for a bit,” the elder wolf requested with a smile to the children, “I’m going to have a little talk with Uncle Eddy and your mom.” They hesitated. “Go on,” he insisted.

It wasn’t until then that Mary and Theodor decided it would be best for them to leave. They got up from their places and hurriedly rushed out the door, a gaggle of giggles issuing from their throats as they went to enjoy their currently choreless afternoon.

That left only the adults. Alabaster wasted no time in donning his trademark glare—a powerful, bone-chilling, expressionless state—that made Edward’s fur stand up. Whenever Alabaster bore that look, Edward always felt cornered. He hated that feeling.

Looking at both son and daughter, a heavy sigh billowed out of his snout, his gaze lingering only on Lavender.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The room stood still.

“...Excuse me?” she asked in what could have been hilariously faux disbelief. “What do you mean, ‘what am I—’”

“Don’t give me that. You know exactly what I mean. But, if you wish for me to spell it out for you like you’re a little pup, I’ll humor you. Why are you so insistent on berating your brother?

“Berating?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself, Lavender.” He pointed at her. “He’s done nothing but show kindness since he walked through our door, has shown respect to our values as wolves—even after he cast them aside, may I remind you—and yet you’re here trying to pick petty fights in an attempt to try and rile him up, for what? My undying love? Your support to the pack? Or was it because you don’t care about him, about your family?”

“Family?” She scoffed again. “Give me a break. He isn’t a part of our family, not anymore. Ever since he left for that college in Zootopia with that… _predophile_.”

“Sharla,” Alabaster clarified, clearly on edge.

“Whatever that fang-chaser’s name is,” Lavender ignored, clarifying further after noticing a defeated-looking Edward. “She isn’t a part of our family, and neither is my pitiful excuse for a brother. You of all mammals know what he’s done, what he’s done to us. He abandoned us. He abandoned the way of his own species. He hasn’t bothered to help us, let alone call us to see if we needed help back at home—which we do, if you haven’t guessed already.

“It’s been so hard since you left. With all of the chores divided between me—a single, new mother mind you—mom, and dad, maintaining the farm became nearly impossible. You have no idea how much you fucked us. How much you fucked me. For God’s sake, you can’t even look me in the eye.”

She was right. Edward didn’t have a leg to stand on in this fight. His gaze went downcast and he stared blankly at the table. He couldn’t think of looking her in the eyes with the guilt he had built up in his chest. How could he? He was—

“Pathetic,” she muttered, ripping the word straight from his thoughts. “Edward isn’t one of us. He’s never been one of us. If he were, he would understand that you help and support the family, no matter what. He’s nothing but an outcast.”

Lavender’s hard breaths plumed when she ended her rant, her eyes ablaze with figurative fire as she pointed towards Edward who, maintaining his silence, was on the brink of tears. He understood that he let her get to him again, but he also understood where she was coming from. To leave without so much as a word, to leave when his sister just had two kids and now an entire farm to look after, she had every right to be mad at him.

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered with guilt.

“Edward,” Alabaster said. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“What do you mean? I left the farm when you guys needed me the most, not to mention Lavender with the pups. I should have been here.”

“Look around,” Alabaster said, arm extended outward. “Does anything look wrong? Has the farm burnt down? No, it hasn’t. Right now, the farm is thriving. We still have the house, the pups are happy, and, as far as I’m aware, the sky hasn’t fallen. Don’t worry about us. We’re doing just fine over here. Your future is just beginning. Keep at it.”

“I… I will. Thanks, Dad.”

“ _Dad_? Since when are you two on—”

“Not another syllable out of you,” Alabaster pointed. “Don’t forget, _I_ still own the farm. You haven’t signed anything, let alone inherited anything yet. _You_ are working here, getting paid every week like any regular employee, and like any other job, you can get fired for discrimination. For your sake, be mindful of what you say, and listen to what I’m about to say very carefully.

“Now, I don’t think I have to remind you that you are raising two kids, do I? I know it’s been hard without Edward and Gary, but they have their own lives to live outside of the farm and they had every right to leave when they did. Mary and Theodor are picture perfect—kind, courteous, helpful, and above all well-behaved, all because of your parenting. And although they are absolute treasures, you can’t deny that they’re at the age where they start to look up to mammals, their role models. Impressions matter, and the impressions we make could define who they are in the future. With their father gone, I was worried that they would grow up without a proper father figure, but over time that became less of a concern with me taking on the mantle. That being said, I would like to hope that their only mother wasn’t a proper bigot during this crucial time in their lives. What if _they_ grow up to like mammals outside of their own species? Will you hate them too?”

“That would never happen,” she quietly spewed, “I wouldn’t allow—”

_THWAM._

Alabaster slammed his open paw down on the hardwood table and stood up. Dishes clattered and rumbled in place, a sole glass cup falling onto its side. Both Lavender and Edward jumped. Though he couldn’t vouch for Lavender, Edward definitely felt afraid.

“You have no right to tell them what they can’t be! None.” He took a breath and sat back down, going back to maintaining his composure. “You are their mother, Lavender. They don’t have a father to look up to, so of course they look up to you the most. I implore that you take this seriously, because there rarely are second chances on parenting. I won’t tolerate this discrimination. Not in my house. Not anymore. I’m only recently just realizing the error of my ways myself. I’ve already apologized to Edward, and I’m hoping to rectify my mistakes with Mary and Theodor. If you keep doing this Lavender, I’ll…”

“You’ll _what?”_

“I’ll have no choice but to not only let you go from the farm, but to kick you out of the house as well.”

“W-what?! You can’t do that!”

“Yes, I can. Your employment here is on file with the Bunnyburrow Department of Labor—hence your pay—and I’m also your father. Though it isn’t something I want to do personally, I have every right to, and I’ll do anything to make sure these kids are well off. I want both Mary and Theo to grow up knowing that whatever they decide to be, we will love and support them no matter what. What do you want them to be?”

Lavender opened her maw, although no words were spoken as she resigned herself, appearing to give the question some thought.

Alabaster cracked a grin. It was clear that he had won. “I’m going to give you some time to think about it. Until then, Edward and I are going to run a few errands. Make sure that you and the pups do your rounds before we get back. We still have a farm to run.” Alabaster and Edward got up and pushed in their chairs, making their way to the front door. “We’ll be back before dinner.”

Once at the door, the elder wolf grabbed his brown leather jacket and threw it over his flannel shirt. Before Edward followed him out, he hesitated at seeing Lavender still sitting in her chair, looking unresponsive and distant as she stared off into space. Against his better judgement, Edward thought to give her some space and not intervene. This was parenting at its finest.

Edward quickly made his way down the stairs of the porch and rejoined his father as they strode towards the parked minivan.

“You think she’ll make the right decision?” the silver wolf asked.

“She will,” said a confident Alabaster. “Although, the bluff about kicking her out wasn’t well thought out by me. Mary and Theo aren’t my pups. If she does get kicked out she’ll still have the kids and   raise them on her own. But, I know she still needs my support, she’s just too stubborn to admit it.

“She’s so new to this. She’s so young. A mother wants the best for her kids, regardless of how young or old you are. I know she cares a lot about them. She’s done an exemplary job raising them so far. Walter leaving made everything so hard for both her and the pups. Believe it or not, she’s afraid. The day when they’ll ask where he went scares the daylights out of her. How can she tell them that he left because he didn’t want them? On top of parenting as a whole, that’s probably why she’s been on edge all these years. Is it the root of her bigotry? No. I think that stemmed from something else entirely, something that’s going to have to mend overtime. If an old dog like me can learn, I’m sure she can. I know she’ll be fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Alabaster sighed. “I hope so too.”

The two wolves reached the cherry-red pick-up truck parked along the path to the shed. Alabaster unlocked the vehicle and Edward climbed in, quickly buckling his seatbelt before his father had time to shut his door.

“By the way,” his father said, shutting the door behind him, “I noticed that you and Sharla finally marked each other. Congratulations.”

Edward went bug-eyed. “Biscuits,” came his whispered curse. He awkwardly pulled his face into his paws.

“Nothing to be ashamed of, son, it’s completely normal.”

Of all mammals, Edward never wanted his father to be the first to find out about his marking. He would have much preferred having Charles or Anders be the first to learn of the marking, even the entirety of the office seemed better than this. Never in his life was he so embarrassed. How did his father know? Edward thought for sure that he was able to hide his mark from Charles and Sami. Did they figure it out as well?

Then it dawned upon him. He nearly facepawed. What was the _one thing_ that could key mammals in on another mammal’s relationship status?

“It was the smell, wasn’t it?”

“No, it was just a wild guess.” Alabaster smiled, gaining a flabbergasted expression from the younger wolf, then followed with a quip once the gag ran on long enough, “Of course it was the scent. We’re wolves, Edward. Our ability to smell is one of the many qualities that makes us unique. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Lavender or the kids, and since we were talking about Gary and your story, it felt inappropriate. The smell was fresh, not to mention strong... I honestly thought she was with you when you walked through our door. I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and say that there’s a good chance you’re going public with this, aren’t you?”

Edward stayed silent for a moment, then sighed. “Yes. We’re slowly coming out so we don’t arouse any unwanted or unneeded attention.”

“Do you think you’re ready?”

“Not really, no,” Edward said honestly. He shrugged.

The corner of Alabaster’s mouth raised. “No one ever is, especially when it comes to change.” Alabaster turned his keys in the ignition and whirred the car to life, kicking dirt up behind them when they finally drove together down the stretch of dirt road. “You two seem incredibly close,” he mentioned, a hint of uncertainty, almost awkwardness, in his tone. “As long as you two stay strong, I… I think that you’ll make it out without too much trouble.”

Surprisingly, Edward believed him. _I hope you’re right, Dad,_ Edward thought as he peered distantly out the window, taking his father’s words to heart. _I hope you are._


	13. Old Times

 

Sharla made no attempt to suppress the giddy squeal that erupted from her throat as she wrapped her arms around Judy.

“It’s so good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you too, Sharla,” Judy mumbled, gently hugging the ewe back. Sharla didn’t realize how long it had been since she’d last seen her friend until she remembered how cuddly rabbits were.

A few seconds afterward they broke away from their hug and sat themselves down at the table Sharla had reserved. Though, it seemed that the other mammals dining around them didn’t care all that much about this happy reunion. A few wayward glances unfortunately caught the ewe’s attention, one being an otter a couple tables down, and another an elderly bobcat sitting at the table next to them. The feline was blatant in making sure that his attention was firmly buried into the newspaper, shooting both of them a glare. He shook his paper with conviction and went back to his reading. Sharla almost wished she didn’t have her species’ impeccable vision.

Sharla rolled her eyes. If she weren’t meeting with Judy, she would have marched right over there and given him a piece of her mind. But, she showed her resolve and let it go. Fighting with him wasn’t worth it.

Sharla instead turned her focus away from the bigot and to the rabbit now sitting across from her.

“So how’s it been?” she asked. “I know we kind of talked a little bit about over the phone, but it’s been so long that I’ve got so much to ask.”

“Likewise.”

“Like, how was college?

“It was—”

“Did you meet any cute mammals there?

“Wai—”

“What’s it like moving to the big city? Was the Zootopia Police Academy super difficult—”

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down, Sharla,” Judy snickered. “We won’t get anywhere if I’m the only one who’s talking. I’ve only got an hour for lunch. Plus, I’ve got questions too. I’m dying to find out about this husband I’ve heard so little about.”

“Fair enough,” Sharla let out a sigh. “How about a synopsis then?”

“Now _that_ I can do.”

Judy sighed and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were honed on her grey paws that were now clasped together on the metal table. She seemed calmer than her usual perky self.

“After graduation,” she began, “I started working towards my degree in criminal justice at U of Z. They almost didn’t let me in because of who I am—a bunny with her heads in the clouds, in their words. They recommended that I become some small-time lawyer. I didn’t budge. Being an officer meant the world to me, and I wasn’t about to give that dream up. Because of me being the valedictorian of my class, the classes that I took in high school, and my involvement in a few shadowings with the BPD, they let me enroll with the expectation that I get a B- or higher in my courses. I knocked their expectations out of the park. I aced all of my courses, and I landed in the top percentile in my school. I managed to get my degree in a little under five years. Once I was done with that, I got into the ZPA.

“Training to become an officer was one of the toughest things I’ve ever went through. College, and even Gideon Grey, don’t come close to what I went through at the ZPA. The major always reminded me how I was just another bunny. My classmates laughed at me and isolated me from their circle for a while… that was until I knocked a rhino out.”

“You… you took down a rhino?!”

Judy flashed a confident grin. “I used the ropes around the ring. Turns out a tiny little bunny can be a force to be reckoned with once she’s a mammalian projectile.

“As an officer, you have to force yourself to think outside of the box. The bad guy won’t care about your safety. They won’t hesitate to take advantage of your weaknesses and use them against you. I used the environment to my advantage. After that, the academy felt like a breeze to me. Next thing I know I’m taking my exam, attending my graduation ceremony, getting assigned to Precinct One, then saying goodbye to my parents, and finally, _finally_ moving to Zootopia.”

“I bet moving to the city was a major adjustment for you.”

“It wasn’t too hard,” Judy shrugged. “The apartment complex isn’t that far from Savannah Central, so I’ll never be late for work. Plus there’s a grocery store not too far down the road.”

“What about your family? Do you miss them? Being away from all those brothers and sisters of yours must be hard. I bet they contact you constantly.

“Not as much as you might think. But, I’d be lying if I say I didn’t miss them.”

The rabbit took on a more somber, almost anxious look as her head dipped down, a paw rubbing against the side of her arm. Sharla couldn’t help but show a touch of concern for the homesick rabbit. But before the ewe had a chance to console her friend, Judy quickly snapped back to clasping her paws together and flashing the brightest grin she could.

“So,” the bunny cleared her throat, “what did you do after graduation? You must’ve had a pretty eventful… six years?”

Sharla laughed at her friend, counting the years on her paws, “It’s been pretty crazy. It doesn’t even feel like six years—”

Off towards the entrance of the dining establishment, she could see a familiar coyote walking through the open door with a menu in his paw. Sharla gave the friendly face a smile, even if his attention was being put into finagling the ticket book from his black apron. Once it was finally out and in his free paw, Will looked up at the two with a smile in kind.

“I see that you finally…” The corners of the coyote’s face slowly drooped upon seeing Judy in the other chair, his expression transforming into what could only be called mild surprise. “...found your friend.” Even the tone in his voice changed. His newfound smile clearly forced itself onto his muzzle when he plainly scoffed, “What can I get for you today?”

“I’ll have…”

The ewe looked to the rabbit sitting across from her. It was at that point when she clearly noticed it, the same look she saw nearly every minute since the week before—the distant look, ears tempted to fall completely to the back of Judy’s skull, and glossy eyes that threatened tears that wouldn’t come.

Sharla took the order into her own hooves. “To start, I’ll have a coffee with cream and a glass of water with lemon on the side, and she’ll have a carrot smoothie.”

Seeing and hearing no discontent from Judy, the waiter scribbled into his book and asked, “Would you like any appetizers, or would you like to go straight to entrees?”

“We’ll go straight to entrees. She’s got to go back to work soon.” Judy made an attempt to grab her menu, but Sharla placed her paw on the other end. “I got this. Garden salad with diced carrots instead of shredded carrots, right?”

Judy nodded in affirmation, the coyote feverishly writing the order down.

“Cool. I’ll have… the bug burger.”

This gained her some perplexed looks from both Judy and Will, which wrought a joyful smile on Sharla’s snout. She could never get tired of this.

“A-are you sur—”

Before the coyote could finish, Sharla cut him off in a lackadaisical tone, “A1 sauce on the side, no tomato, mustard, or ketchup. Oh, and extra pickles.”

The ewe grabbed both menus and gave them back to the flabbergasted predator, who was now bewilderingly wrapping up their order on his ticket. Once complete, he took the menus and stuffed the book back into his apron.

“Your… food should be out soon. I’ll go get your drinks.”

“Thank you, Will.” Sharla nodded.

“Thanks,” Judy attempted to say to the waiter, only to find that he had already turned to leave. A light sigh blew through her nostrils, and her ears began to dip downward, prompting a touch of concern to weasel its way up and out of Sharla’s snout.

“Judy,” Sharla worriedly said. “Are you feeling okay?”

The rabbit’s ears shot back up, and her face bore the smile she had on moments prior. “I-I’m fine, Sharla. Just… uh… feeling a bit tired right now.”

 _Judy Hopps, your evasion skills_ still _have much to be desired,_ the thought echoed in Sharla’s head. She was obviously trying to hide some essence of sadness. It was painful to witness. But, instead of fighting it, she decided to humor her instead.

“Yeah, with everything that’s happened this week, I bet the ZPD is pretty busy these days.”

“Tell me about it,” Judy groaned, rolling her eyes. “We’ve been getting so many calls, I’m just glad to be here right now. Speaking of which, I was just about to hear what you’ve been up to.”

“All you want to know about... is this,” Sharla grinned, pointing to the ring on her finger.

“What?” Judy asked innocently. “I care a lot about your life… Sharla…” The ewe raised her brow with her arms crossed until the rabbit officer finally conceded, laughing as she put her paws up. “Okay, fine, you got me. Guilty as charged.”

“In that case, I might as well start somewhere that makes sense. To torment you a little while longer. Remember how we pretty much rocked our choir class back in middle school?”

“Yeah. We nearly turned our class into a super cringy cliche musical. Mrs. Mawson wanted to kill us.”

“Well, I decided to continue being a musical menace and joined a rock band.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

“Like, guitars, drums, all of that?”

“Yep.”

“When did you decide to join?”

“During the end of our first year of high school. My brother and I were already skilled in using the drums and the guitar respectively, so we just pushed ourselves to learn some new music. We even tried forming our own band. Needless to say, it never took off. About a month before summer vay-cay was about to start, I got word from one of my friends about a band called Wildfire that was looking for a drummer, guitarist, and a pianist. Apparently the band had a fallout pitting both the bassist and lead vocalist against the other members. From what they’ve let me in on, it was over something stupid. This led to the band breaking up, leaving both remaining members looking for new recruits. Garrett and I auditioned with a few others, and we both managed to make the cut.

“I remember we started out with something small. I think it was a grad party. Xander—our lead vocalist—thought that it would be the best thing for the band’s new start.”

“How’d it go?”

“We killed it. The mammals loved it, we were happy with how we played, and we showed everyone that Garrett and I could roll with the big mammals, especially since we were the onl—”

Before Sharla could finish her sentence, a brown and black-colored paw stretched itself in front of her, holding a mug of piping hot coffee.

Once the mug was set in front of Sharla, the paw retreated back to its owner, the ewe’s eyes following it until she could see Will’s face clearly. He still seemed slightly irritated through his poor guise of a plain, blank expression, and it threatened to show. Will expertly placed the rest of the dishes sitting on the platter he was holding onto the table—a glass of water, a bowl of pre-packaged single-serve creamers, a very delectable-looking carrot smoothie inside of a vintage-looking milkshake glass, and finally, a bottle of mouthwatering A1 steak sauce.

“Thank you,” Sharla smiled to the coyote.

“Thanks,” Judy followed.

There was a moment where the canid simply stared at Judy in silence. He looked confident, his chest puffed out, his downward glare almost threatening to pierce her very soul. This caused something that Sharla didn’t expect to see from her zealous, confident, and brave friend: fear. The twitching of her nose made sure to broadcast that emotion clearly.

Seeing this, no doubt, made the corner of Will’s mouth raise slightly. Without another word, he finally gave them a nod then turned to leave. Judy’s gaze slowly fell to the ground, and her ears fell back a touch.

It was strange seeing her friend acting so unlike herself. It was as if she was trying desperately to create this wall around herself and continue being this strong rabbit everyone had come to know her to be. But, doing so seemed a pointless effort. Her wall seemed to come crashing down at every turn. What made matters worse for her was that there was nothing Judy could do about it.

Sharla wanted nothing more than to ask Judy what was wrong. That way, she could finally speak her mind and let all of this baggage out. However, Sharla suspected it wasn’t that simple.

The ewe made a mental note to herself. If Judy showed another sign of distress, she would make the effort to ask her what was wrong. After all these years, she deserved that much.

“Wanna see us in action?” Sharla finally asked, ripping Judy’s attention from her aimless staring.

“Sure,” Judy said with a nod, her ears and smile making a timely return.

Sharla dug her smartphone out of her pocket and quickly navigated to her photos and video files. Once there, she painstakingly scrolled through the contents, a plethora of videos and pictures passing her by. Most were of her and Edward, others were of the antics she pulled in high school, and some were based solely on messing with her coworkers—Riley mostly.

But, there was one video in particular Sharla wanted to find. It was during the second semester of their junior year. Their band had been asked to perform for a graduation party in light of their  rising popularity, not to mention that two of their members were seniors.

Now that Sharla thought about it, how did Judy not know who they were? At one point their band spread, for lack of a better term, like wildfire. Everyone in the school knew who they were, and Sharla knew better than anyone how gossip spread in the Hopps burrow.

Regardless, the band rocked it out that night. The graduates were sufficiently hyped, and the band received much praise. And since Wildfire managed to score some major kudos from the seniors, it in turn landed them several other major gigs over the span of a few months. But, even with it being one of their biggest performances to date, it wasn’t the reason she wanted to show this specific video.

It took only a few more seconds of frantic scrolling to spot the fabled video, Sharla flashing a smile and mumbling to herself, “There it is.”

Sharla looked up from her phone and moved to the chair next to Judy, scooting closer to her so that she was able to clearly see the video.

“Ready?” Sharla asked.

Judy nodded eagerly. She inched closer to Sharla, turning her ears towards the phone’s speakers. Once they were settled, the ewe tapped the play button and ran back the footage.

The video began as it normally did with the whir and feedback of guitars and microphones. The camera-mammal operating the phone was fumbling it, obviously struggling to maintain stability for the first few seconds until the video finally settled back onto the stage platform. Wildfire was on the stage setting up their instruments. A lot of the mammals present—most of which were rabbits, amongst them sheep, foxes, cougars, and wolves—were standing on the ground a couple of feet away from the front of the stage and around the tables in the back. Before then, their focus had been privy to conversation and the drinks in their paws. What they had now was pure entertainment.

Cheers and praise roared through the crowd inside the tent, which the camera-mammal expertly captured. Once the setting had been adequately filmed, the camera fell back to the stage. The band of five took their respective positions.

Stationed at the three microphones were the bassist on the left, a tod by the name of Martin Baker and his left-handed candy apple red bass, the cougar lead singer in the middle, Alexander ‘Xander’ Scott and his stunning Silverburst Les Paul, and to the right was none other than Sharla, her special black and white Firebird held in her hooves. Behind the trio were Sharla’s brother Garrett on drums and the very punky Polly playing the piano.

“Who’s ready to rock!” the lead singer howled to the crowd, who returned a loud cheer back to the band. They were more than ready.

Xander grabbed the microphone stand with his paws and drew it close to his muzzle. The ewe counted the band down. When she ceased, the lead singer and lead guitarist had begun their first piece, picking away at the strings of their guitars.

 

_Keep you in the dark,_

_You know they all pretend._

_Keep you in the dark,_

_And so it all began…_

 

The guitars went quiet. Then like thunder, the drums beat a quicker pulse into the crowd, another roar beckoning for more as both guitars and bass stepped back in. The mammals inside the tent were happily dancing their hearts away. It didn’t take long for the camera to join the fray, the video starting to bob with the beat of the music. Even now, Sharla couldn’t help tapping her foot to the recording.

In all honesty, she had truly forgotten how good the band really was, even after playing with them weeks ago before the wedding. Wildfire’s popularity put them at the top of nearly everybody’s list in the Tri-Burrows, gaining them many a performance in their time, including small parts of Zootopia and Deerbrooke county. If Sharla were a betting mammal, she’d wager that if they had continued down the musical path and she had ditched her dreams of becoming an engineer, they could have been wildly successful. Xander and Polly were excellent songwriters, and made a few original songs for the band back in their late high school and early college days. Repeating that success through writing an entire album would be a breeze for them. Although that decision had come and gone, Sharla often wondered how her life would’ve panned out if she had made the decision to continue.

It didn’t take long for the song playing on Sharla’s phone to reach its end. The band built up as much hype as they could at the final stretch, and punched the final notes strong.

“Well?” Sharla smirked.

“That was amazing!”

“Looks like we have ourselves another fan.”

“I can’t believe you guys didn’t go on to become rockstars. You guys sounded so amazing, so why didn’t you?”

“We had other plans,” Sharla admitted. “I had my dream of working for MASA, Garrett wanted to be a music teacher, and Xander was working to become a doctor. Polly went on to Hollywood to try and score a music deal, but found herself landing in some other profession. I think she’s some sort of Internet personality now? I can’t remember correctly.”

“Was she the pianist?”

“Correct-a-mundo.”

“Well, what about the bassist?”

“He…” Sharla paused, her mind struggling to connect some dots. Martin did mention something about an opportunity in New Pork, but she also heard from Xander that he was playing for another band. Eventually, she said, “I’m actually not too sure. I’m sure that he’s doing well for himself.”

“Well that’s good to hear. I’m glad you and your bandmates are doing well.”

Judy looked down at her carrot smoothie and took a sip from her straw. Sharla promptly followed suit in preparing her coffee, and got to picking up the mug when Judy formed a particularly shit-eating grin on her face.

“So, what’s the story about that ring on your finger?”

“Oh, this?” Sharla jabbed. “I mugged a guy for it.” To that, Judy raised a brow. Sharla smiled and continued mockingly with her poor acting skills. “You caught me! Finally foiled after years of running free. Who would have thought I would be caught by my best friend of all mammals? Oh, the shame!”

“I meant your husband, Sharla,” Judy clarified with a laugh.

“Okay fine, I give.” The ewe once again worked through the maze that was the contents of her photo and video gallery. “We met in the latter half of our junior year. My friend Charles had the bright idea that after… well, let’s just say a bad breakup, that he was going to introduce a friend of his to me. Charles told me that his friend needed to get out of the house and broaden his horizons from the small circle of friends he had. I told Charlie about the grad party I was performing for and invited them as my plus ones. That video I just showed you? It was filmed by Charles’s friend, my future husband.”

“Really?” Judy gasped, starry-eyed. Sharla nodded, which made the rabbit gleefully smile. “Aww, that’s so cute! What happened when you saw him for the first time? Did you have one of those ‘love at first sight’ moments like mammals do in those cheesy love stories?”

Sharla blushed awkwardly. “I wouldn’t say that. When I saw him with Charles for the first time… I thought that he was absolutely adorable… and when we looked at each other… I couldn’t describe it—”

“Oh my gosh.”

“What?”

“You’re such a liar.”

“Oh, stop.”

“Look at you, you’re beaming! If that wasn’t love at first sight, than you’re dreaming.”

“Stop, Jude,” the ewe stammered, punching Judy’s arm. “I’m gonna die of embarrassment if I blush anymore!”

They shared a laugh.

“You two must be made for each other.”

Sharla took a sip of her now moderately warm coffee. She was done being giddy and decided to revert to her normal smiling self as she stared off into space, swirling around memories and good times. She tried her best to focus on the topic at hand at the same time.

“He inspires me,” she began. “Even at that party when I barely knew him, he pushed me to play my very best. I nailed all my solos and I didn’t miss a beat, all because he looked at me. He was all confused and blushy at first, but once he started settling in, he had this gorgeous smile that warmed my heart. It felt like he believed in me. He still does. That fluffball.”

“Do you have a picture?” Judy asked.

“What?” Sharla perplexedly wondered, only remembering when she came back to reality. She picked her phone back up into her hoof, continuing her search for the right picture. “Oh right! I meant to show it to you, kinda spaced out for a minute there.”

“Did you just make a space pun?”

“No… it… You know what? Yeah, it was,” she giggled. Sharla looked back down at the screen on her phone. The photo she had left off on was one from her university days. Both her and Edward lying on a bright blue blanket, enjoying the nice spring day, reading and writing respectively as they snuggled up next to one another. She was smiling while she rested her head against the wolf’s arm, Edward with a similar grin as he stared into the screen of his laptop. The picture was taken by one of their friends at Central Zootopia University, Spirit, who had a knack for snapping the perfect picture. It was one of the only times the mare’s photography skills paid off—well, for Sharla at least. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the skills in the art, it was the fact that he would constantly bug the couple and the rest of their friends.

Confirming that she had the right photograph selected, she tapped the tip of her hoof on the image to bring it up full screen before handing Judy her phone.

“Here.”

Like a flick of a switch, life felt as if it was moving in super slow motion. In the time it took Judy to take the device into her paw and bring it into view, Sharla could feel her nerves beginning to flare in the back of her mind. She felt so excited and happy throughout the entirety of the lunch. She had been waiting for a chance to talk with Judy since their high school graduation. It felt just as long to finally shed light on her relationship with Edward. This was the culmination of their meetup. The very grounds of their friendship hinged on how Judy would take the news of Sharla’s relationship. It didn’t help that the probability of the worst case scenario happening was staggeringly high.

Edward’s words echoed in the back of her mind. _“Are you sure we can trust her?”_

 _I’m positive we can trust her,_ Sharla quickly deduced. _Whether or not she’ll still consider me a friend in the end… that’s what I’m worried about._

Mammals could be cruel. They shut and discriminate against others for the littlest of things—species, gender, even preferences. Sharla knew Judy wasn’t one to judge other mammals based on who they were, but when it came to being in an interspecies relationship, Sharla learned over the years to expect the unexpected.

Sharla saw Judy’s eyes lock onto the screen, then came the moment she had been dreading: Judy’s gleeful smile slowly fell into shock. Her ears slowly fell to the back of her head.

“This is him?” she mumbled.

“Yes,” Sharla said coldly, making no attempt to disguise her disappointment. She crossed her arms and looked away. Sharla didn’t want to believe it.

“You married a wolf?”

“Yes, I did. I’m sorry if you expected something else. I guess I’m different.”

“What do you… Oh, no! No, no, no,” Judy stammered, bug-eyed, “that’s not what I meant—”

“Then what do you mean, Judy?”

“I—I…” her voice fell into nothing, and eventually her glossy gaze averted into space. “I’m sorry,” she uttered shakily, “I didn’t mean to—”

Sharla’s hoof gently fell onto Judy’s arm. The moment she made contact, Judy tensed up, the look on her face transforming into that of a deer in headlights. It was obvious that she was hurting. She was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Sharla still cared about Judy. Maybe Sharla jumped the gun. Maybe Judy wasn’t a bigot after all. She didn’t know for sure. What she did know was that Judy clearly needed to talk, and she wasn’t going to abandon her. Regardless, Sharla needed to be the better mammal here. She needed to help her friend.

So, without hesitation, Sharla mustered up a caring look. “Judy,” she said. “Please, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

It took her a few seconds, but Judy managed to compose herself enough to speak her mind.

“I wanted to make the world a better place. I thought that if I solved the ‘Missing Mammals’ case, I would finally gain the respect of everyone at the precinct and become a real officer like I’d dreamed of being, not some meter maid like everyone wants me to be. All I managed to do was divide the city. So many innocent mammals were affected by what I said, including someone I cared about, and still do. Now that mammal hates my guts. And, if I’m being honest, I don’t blame him. I would probably hate me too if I were in his place.

“I don’t know what to do, Sharla. I don’t think I can continue calling myself an officer knowing that the city is in turmoil because of me. How do I fix this?”

“Can’t you call up another press conference?”

Judy shook her head. “With the city the way it is, the chief recommended that I say nothing about it and ride it out.”

Sharla sighed. What a terrible situation Judy was in. The fact that Judy was even considering stepping away from her dream was a scary thought. The tenacious, fearless, courageous rabbit, the hero she had come to know had finally hit bedrock. She needed something, anything. But, there wasn’t much that she could recommend to Judy.

“I would follow the chief’s advice on this one, Judy. There isn’t much you can do on your end to remedy this, and the last thing the city needs right now is adding more wood to the fire. But, if worse comes to worse, then do what you think is right. The only one who knows you better than anyone is you. You are a good mammal, Judy. Your morals are why you’re a cop in the first place. If you feel that you need to step away from it all for your sake, than take that time. If you feel that you can ride this out, then keep on fighting. Either way, I’ll be right here if you need to talk.”

The forlorn look on Judy’s face stayed for a moment, looking doubtfully at Sharla until the corners of her mouth raised into a weak grin.

“Thank—”

Judy abruptly went silent when Will’s paws reached in front of the duo with their food, placing both the plate of greens and juicy bug burger in front of them.

“Enjoy your food,” he said plainly, giving a nod before leaving.

Sharla looked back at Judy as she continued with that same smile as before. “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem at all, Judy.”

“You and…”

“Edward.”

“You and Edward make a really cute couple.”

Sharla smiled. “Thank you.”

 

**_o  o o_ **

 

Charles let out a sigh and shut his eyes when he finally plopped lazily onto his sofa, the piece of furniture creaking in kind at the sudden weight being put on it. He bathed in the silence of his apartment for a moment, letting his thoughts dissipate into nothing. It was finally time for him to relax.

_Bzz-Bzz-Bzzzzz…_

That was, until his phone received yet another call. Charles let out a groan. He almost didn’t want to answer it. But, knowing that it’d be rude not to answer, he dug into the inner pocket of his overcoat and fetched the buzzing phone. Without checking the contact, he instinctively answered the call and brought the device to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Charles.”

“Edward! How’s the trip to the Burrows treating you?”

“Great, actually. It turns out that Dad is trying to be a lot nicer now, so that’s a plus.”

“That’s fantastic to hear,” Charles grinned.

“Yeah, it’s definitely a big change.”

“I bet it is. So, what’s up? Find any new information about our lead?”

“Y-yes,” Edward sputtered, his delivery suddenly turning shaken and rapid. “I was hoping that I could talk to you and Anders about it later tonight. Could you bring him over to your place after he gets off of work? I’m taking the next train out at six. We need to talk this over right away.”

“Is it that urgent?

“Yes,” Edward quickly affirmed. “I’m scared, Charlie. Something isn’t right about this.”

“Just calm down, Ed. It’s okay. I’ll get Anders over here right away and we can talk about this when you get back, okay?”

An audible sigh breathed heavily through the speaker. “Okay.”

“I’ll get Anders over here. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon,” Edward repeated low.

The call ended. Charles sat up and slouched, resting his arms on his knees as he stared blankly into his phone.

 _What did Edward find?_ Charles wondered. Considering their conversation the day before Edward left, he had an idea of what his friend had uncovered. What were these ‘Nighthowlers’ anyway?


	14. Perspective

 

Edward frowned. He didn’t want to leave the farm. If it weren’t for his story, he’d be happy sitting down with his family for dinner. Unfortunately, after obtaining further information from the interviews around the town, Edward felt it vital to make his way back to Zootopia and relay the information to Charles and Anders. It was Thursday, May 26th. If they successfully met their deadline before Saturday and as long as his math was correct, by six o’clock they had a grand total of thirty hours to create a hit-story.

As it stood, this hypothesis—that Nighthowlers, otherwise known officially as Midnicampum Holicithias, were the source of savage predators in Zootopia—had proven to be plausible. Furthermore, one of his many questions lingered: How were predators getting their paws on such a vicious plant?

During the interviews, Edward came up with a few theories.

The first was that these mammals had unknowingly stumbled upon these plants and suffered the effects soon after making contact with them. It didn’t take more than two seconds for him realize how ludicrous his deduction was. Emmitt Otterton turned when he was in the backseat of a moving vehicle, a limo owned by Mr. Big himself. How would Emmitt have had access to the plant at that point?

His second and third guesses had consisted of mammals either not being privy to how dangerous Nighthowlers were and giving the flower to the afflicted predators or willingly handling the Nighthowlers themselves. Again, he considered the kind and caring nature of Mr. Otterton, which he knew thanks to the information provided by Lucile Otterton at their interview and the professions of the other predators. According to that list, a little less than half of the twenty-four mammals listed on Anders’ email were florists, a quarter of them were reporters, and the rest were considered to be random. Every florist and botanist in the city stocking Midnicampum Holicithias knew what the flower was. This theory was a crapshoot at best. His third theory was in the realm of plausibility, which was that 'mammals make mistakes.' Then again, there was one major hole in that logic.

When he interviewed Alabaster and Stewart Hopps, they explained that one of their family members, Uncle Terry and Gary Snow specifically, had managed to eat a Nighthowler whole. In each case, both had begun convulsing where they stood and were acting erratically, almost like their bodies were seizing, before finally turning aggressive and reverting back to their primal ways. Gary and Terry were immediately rushed to the hospital, where they spent a few hours getting the effects of the flower out of their system. 

He had two sources stating how long the Nighthowlers effects lasted. Not only that, if Nighthowlers were indeed the cause, he had proof that savagery wasn’t as one-sided as everyone in the city presumed. Prey was just as capable of turning savage.

So how was it that mammals like Emmitt were still affected? Why were so many florists and reporters among those who turned? Why predators? How were they getting their paws on Midnicampum Holicithias?

Edward thought it over while he paced silently around his old bedroom, just like he would when he was younger. The movement helped him think, especially when it came to big projects for school—work felt no different.

Minutes seemed to pass him by with each and every step he took. He considered everything he’d accumulated up to this point, the evidence, the interviews, all of the research he’d done. Then, something else came into focus. His eyes grew wide. His fourth theory.

_ Someone…  _ he thought, slower and more carefully than a sloth, then came to his conclusion _. Someone is intentionally using Nighthowlers to… to target predators and turn them savage. _

A breath caught in his throat. A paw covered his mouth. 

“Oh god,” came his painful whisper.

He couldn’t stop shaking. Forget about his anxiety, it was complete fear that had taken over. What would become of him if he pursued this further? Reporters were among the targeted on Anders’ list. His only guess now was that they had gotten too close to the truth, and as a result, they were punished for their insolence. How convenient that he had no choice but to continue on for the sake of his job.

Should he bring Charles and Anders into this? Anders could get off scot-free, his job wasn’t on the line. Charles and Edward, on the other hand, were the ones at stake. Perhaps he and Charles could go it alone? If they could back up his new hypothesis with more evidence, their findings could not only prove useful to the ZPD, but to Zootopia’s citizens as well. They could save countless lives. Prey and predator alike.

“...No,” Edward concluded aloud.

They wouldn’t get anywhere without Anders’ technical skills. They needed him. Furthermore, Charles and Anders would have to be brought into the loop. No matter the risks, Edward needed them. They had to know what lay ahead of them, know the gravity of the situation.

Edward shut his bedroom door and sat down on his bed. Even if his door was half open, the last thing he wanted was for anyone to pick up on the conversation. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and stared blankly at the unlit screen for a moment, then quickly made his call. It abrasively rang in his ear while he waited until Charles finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Charles.”

“Edward! How’s the trip to the Burrows treating you?”

“Great, actually. It turns out that Dad is trying to be a lot nicer now, so that’s a plus.”

“That’s fantastic to hear.”

“Yeah,” Edward mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s definitely a big change.”

“I bet it is. So, what’s up? Find any new information about our lead?”

“Y-yes. I was hoping that I could talk to you and Anders about it later tonight. Could you bring him over to your place after he gets off of work? I’m taking the next train out at six. We need to talk this over right away.”

“Is it that urgent?

“Yes,” Edward quickly affirmed. A tear welled up in his eye. “I’m scared, Charlie. Something isn’t right about this.”

“Just calm down, Ed. It’s okay. I’ll get Anders over here right away and we can talk about this when you get back, okay?”

The wolf finally released the pent-up breath in his lungs and wiped his eyes. He was still shaking. “Okay.”

“I’ll get Anders over here. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Edward immediately went to work packing up what little he had into his knapsack, then contacted Sami with the business card he left for the wolf earlier that morning. Despite Edward’s nervousness, Sami happily agreed to drive, no questions asked.

Once he was ready and packed, Edward headed downstairs where he was met with two smiling pups in the living room. Mary was reading a children's book, while Theodor happily watched cartoons on the TV. Edward could hear the water running and dishes clattering in the kitchen, assuming it to be Lavender. Sitting in the dining room, Alabaster silently read the newspaper in his paws like the stereotypical grandfather he was, glasses and all. The paper was the  _ Bunnyburrow Beacon _ , which highlighted some of the happenings around town, including the upcoming 121st annual Carrot Days Festival. 

But that wasn’t enough to distract him from his son who had just waltzed into the room. He tilted the newspaper to greet him with a half smile.

“Hello, kiddo.”

“H-hey, dad.”

“Why the… long face…” His smile faded, eyes catching the strap around Edward’s shoulder. “You’re leaving?” He stood up from his seat.

The dishes stopped clattering.

“Yeah…” Edward sighed. He pushed his fear away to put on his best take at stoic expression. “I’ve got to report to my co-workers who are helping me with the story. They need the info that I have. Trust me, it’s not by choice. I wish I could stay longer.”

“Why not stay? Can’t you… page them or whatever?”

“I could email them,” Edward correctively shrugged, “but my deadline is tomorrow. My job is kind of riding on this story, and I’d rather not risk any of the details slipping through the cracks by mammals getting nosy at the office. I have to go.”

Alabaster stood there for a moment in silence, his blank expression unreadable. He then smiled and put a paw on Edward’s shoulder.

“I guess it can’t be helped.” Both father and son perked their ears at the sound of a car, which prompted them to move to the foyer. The clattering of dishes continued once again while the eldest wolf announced to the pups of Edward’s departure.

“Come say goodbye to your uncle, you two.”

Both of them made sure to voice their disappointment as they trudged slowly over to the front door. Edward crouched down to their level. Mary went first.

“Do you have to go?”

“I've got some work I need to do.” She began to tear up and let out a sniffle, prompting Edward to try and backpedal as best he could. “Don’t worry, Mary. I'll be gone only for a little bit.”  Seeing that his words were ineffective as her tears soaked into his purple flannel shirt, he came up with something that even he needed — a glimmer of hope. “Tell you what, I’ll even bring Auntie Sharla with me next time. I know she would like to see you again.”

“R-really?” She pulled away, looking at him while she wiped away a tear from her fur.

“Really.”

“Promise?” Theodor whimpered. He was on the verge of tears, obviously trying his best to suppress them.

Edward put on the brightest grin he could. The last thing he wanted was to upset his niece and nephew. It was as his father said, this was a crucial time in their lives. Making a good impression on them was paramount. He only wished he could do more.

Edward brought both pups close, hugging them tightly, putting all of his emotional weight into the embrace. “I promise.”

Satisfied, both Mary and Theodor slowly broke the hug, Edward ruffling the tops of their heads before standing back up.

Edward motioned towards the door to meet his father. The elder wolf wore a solemn smile on his muzzle, his paw outstretched and prepared for a pawshake. “It was nice seeing you again, son.”

The silver wolf stared at his father’s paw for a moment, then back at him. Edward smiled, ignoring the paw, and wrapped his arms around his father's torso. Needless to say, Alabaster was shocked at the gesture, but once Alabaster settled into the hug and finally wrapped his arms around his son, Edward could tell that he appreciated it.

“It was nice seeing you too, Dad.” Edward smiled.

They broke from their hug, Alabaster making no attempt to hide his glossy eyes from view, which warmed Edward’s heart. It all but confirmed that the hateful dictator he’d known since childhood had vanished without a trace. Alabaster was quite emotional in fact, just like Edward.

Edward quickly made his way out the door where he was greeted by Sami Hopps. He was leaning coolly against the side of his car with his head down, invested into whatever he was doing on his phone. This didn’t last long, however, because by the time Mary, Theodor, and Alabaster followed Edward outside and stood on the porch, the rabbit had his head held high with a blank expression under his aviator sunglasses.

The elder wolf swooned over the rabbit’s vehicle with a whistle while Edward tossed his bag in the back seat.

“Sami, was it? Nice car,” Alabaster grinned. “Let me guess, Herd Edge?”

Edward rolled his eyes. His father was a car junkie. When Edward was younger, all he did was hang out with his mother or invest his time into either a good book or his homework. Though, it didn’t stop Alabaster from showing his son the car once or twice when Gary was too busy with other tasks around the farm. His father’s truck had originally been sitting in the back shed for years, being neglected and underused while the family van got all the attention, and Edward knew because their truck hadn’t moved from its spot since the eighth grade. Even their old tractor that they used only a pawful of times a season was used more than the truck. But, Edward assumed that in the time he was away, Alabaster had fixed it up. It was how Edward got to his interviews earlier, after all.

“What else would I be driving?” Sami slyly chortled. “Their cars are the best.”

“Damn right.” Alabaster pointed to the minivan parked alongside the field across from the house. “I’ve got a Wildstar over there. My… my wife insisted that we get a van for our kids when they were still small. Use it for my daughter’s grand-pups now. My real pride and joy is in the back. H-150, circa 1986.

It was Sami’s turn to whistle. “Now that’s a beauty. Although, if I’m right, that year’s model was a bit of a gas guzzler.”

“It was. You really seem to know your cars, youngster.”

Sami moved towards the driver’s side door. “I’m twenty-five, sir. I wouldn’t call myself young per se. I was one of the first litters of my family, but, compared to someone like you or my dad, I wouldn’t call myself old either. Although, speaking of old, I’m more of a 50’s guy for the H-150 line myself.”

“Now that’s taste.”

“So I’ve been told,” Sami grinned, taking off his sunglasses, stuffing them into the neck of his shirt before stepping out from his side of the car and to the elder wolf. “If you ever need any help with your truck, I recommend taking it to BB Automotive. I might even be able to give you a few discounts since I’m one of the managers there. And if you can’t make it to the store,” he pulled out a business card from his wallet, then handed it to Alabaster, “just give me a call and I’ll be over in a flash.”

Alabaster looked at the card, then gave a grin to the rabbit, “Thank you, Sami.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Snow.”

Alabaster turned his head away from the rabbit, who had quickly made his way back to the driver’s side door. He looked at Edward and waved. “Take care, son. Don’t hesitate on stopping by again. Our door will be open.”

“Bye, Uncle Eddy!” yelped Mary, who seemed to be in better spirits. 

“Bye!” Theodor yelled.

Edward waved back. “I’ll be back before you know it, guys.”

Both rabbit and wolf piled into the car and hastily took off to Bunnyburrow Train Station. As the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and down the road, Edward glanced behind through the rear window to see his old home and family members begin to shrink from view. Before today, Edward would have considered it strange to leave the house while wishing he had more time to visit. Now he was on the brink of tears.

Edward saw the taller figure on the porch shoo the young pups inside the house and noticed one of the curtains flutter in the first story near where the kitchen was. Had Lavender been watching them the entire time? 

Unable to come up with a solid answer, Edward resigned himself with a sigh, deciding that it would be best to stop staring out the back window like a pup and sit properly. It wasn’t his car after all.

A handful of minutes passed in silence while Edward tried taking in the sights of the countryside. He was trying his best not to think too much about getting back to the city and what was to come after he arrived.

“So that was your father?” Sami asked.

Edward nodded. “Yes.”

“Seems a lot friendlier then I imagined him to be.”

The wolf tilted his head, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Sami shrugged, “you were super nervous about meeting your family when I picked you up. From what I know about wolf families, I heard that they’re pretty anal about pack mentality. So when you said you were the runt of the litter, I figured that your family had pretty much ousted you.”

“More or less,” the wolf shrugged. 

It was Sami’s turn to be confused, Edward noticing the rabbit raise a brow and tilt his head through the rear-view mirror. He didn’t want to explain… again. It felt redundant. But, then again, it might take his mind off of the story. Even if it was for just a moment.

“To put it simply... a pack is the culmination of a group or a family of mammals. Normally, a pack is made up of wolves, but there are many exceptions that vary from one pack to another. Each is led by an alpha male and an alpha female who are both in charge of the general safety of their packmates and the group’s survival. The beta in a pack is essentially the second in command and takes the lead role if anything were to happen to the alpha. Lastly, there’s the omega. The omega is the lowest rank one could be given in the pack. They are the least cared for, the most bullied, and used to ease tensions among the rest of the wolves. Eventually, if it becomes too much, the omega could up and leave the pack on its own.

“I was the last born of my litter. Compared to my brother Gary and my sister Lavender, I was the weakest in terms of physical strength and raw aptitude, and it seemed that Mother Nature didn’t want to stop there. Because of a genetic condition, I couldn’t… or rather can’t howl, and my stunted growth makes it so I’m about five or six inches shorter than my brother and sister.”

“I’m sorry,” Sami spoke apologetically.

“It’s alright, Sam. There's nothing that can be done about it. It's just the way I am,” Edward shrugged. “Although it makes our gatherings for lunar and solar eclipses kind of awkward. At least I get to appreciate the beauty of the moon a lot better.”

“Did it impact your speech at all? The howling, I mean.”

“For the most part, no, but making that hard ‘o-oo—” Edward began cracking up at his stuttering. “Obviously it’s still there, but I just don’t think about it as much. Not as much as I used to anyways… But, believe me, it was worse when I was a pup.”

“Was… living as both the runt and the omega hard in your family?”

“Well... yes,” Edward sighed heavy. “Because of my conditions, I was belittled at home by my brother and my father, both for slightly different reasons. While my brother targeted my insecurities, my father sought to further exclude me by telling me how weak I was, and how disappointed in me he’d become. School only became worse when Gary told the bullies about my whole howling defect, then even more hell came when I started dating in high school.”

“What the fuck…” Sami spoke under his breath in disbelief. “Was your entire family against you?”

“No, actually,” the corners of Edward’s mouth raised. “My Aunt Veranda helped me through some of it. My mom, however… She was what got me through. She was my hero.”

“Was?”

Edward scratched the back of his neck, a frown taking the place of his smile. The silence cut the air between them like a knife through butter. With a mouthed ‘oh,’ the rabbit quickly understood.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, she lived a wonderful life.” Edward tried his best to force a convincing smile. “She pushed me to follow my heart and what I wanted. That’s how I met my wife... Sharla, and landed the job that I have—”

“Wait,” Sami interrupted, “you mean, Sharla?  You don’t mean Sharla Mcdewgell, do you?”

“The very one.”

“Wow. She used to hang out with Judy at our place when they were kids. She doing well?”

“Yeah. She’s working at MASA right now as an engineer. She gets to build and draw up rockets all day.”

The rabbit happily huffed. “Time really does fly.”

“Yeah,” Edward repeated low, trying to take in the sights once more while his mind replayed old memories. He could just catch the beginnings of town when Sami brought him back to their conversation.

“So your mom really was an inspiration, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Edward nodded. “It was like she could do everything. She was kind, courteous, and one of the strongest mammals I’ve ever met. Not the physical kind, but mentally, she could tackle anything. She was even offered a job by Chef Gordon Ramsay.”

“No shit?”

“She did.”

“What happened?”

“She chose us,” Edward explained. “Taking the job meant that she would have to move all the way to Paris, which meant that my brother, my sister, and I had to go with them. We were very young at the time, and she wasn’t keen on letting my father’s dream of running a farm fall to ruin, so she gave the job up. From what I’ve been told, Ramsay respected her decision.”

“She cared for your father? After everything he put you through?”

“They were soulmates… eh, his words, not mine. Before we were born, they did everything together. She helped him buy the farm. She helped him kickstart his dream. She helped him get through the death of his father, my grandfather. When she passed, he—like me—just lost it. He took it way worse. While he was doing his best to keep himself afloat, he realized how bad he’d become and decided to make amends with me. He’s honestly not that bad once you get to know him.”

“What about your sister and your brother?”

My brother… well, he doesn’t come around much anymore. Communication with him has been minimal at best. I know my sister is a little better than my brother, but I’m hoping that she’ll come around soon.”

“At least her kits seem nice.”

“That’s my mom’s magic for you.”

“They knew your mother too? When did she pass?”

“Two weeks ago. Her funeral was last Sunday.”

Sami looked astonished at Edward’s lack of hesitation. “If my mom died I’d be held up in my room for months on end. How the fuck are you so… nonchalant about it?”

The wolf’s ears fell to the back of his head. “I’m glad that my acting isn’t too bad. Trust me, I know that I’m far from okay. I just… can’t cry anymore.” Saying those words clearly shook him up, the crack in his voice evident to both occupants in the car. He continued, “I… I want to be strong like her. She wouldn’t want me to sit and mope. She would want me to be happy.”

“Are… are you doing o—”

“I’m fine, Sam,” Edward answered quickly. He didn’t even fully register that he had cut Sami off at first and was convinced that the rabbit had pegged him as rude. Edward just didn’t want to look weak anymore. He tried to put on a convincing smile as he ended with, “Trust me, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Without another word, Edward went back to looking out the window of the car, which greeted him with the familiar sights of downtown Bunnyburrow. Edward wasn’t sure how much time had passed, and if he were being honest, he didn’t care all that much. He appreciated the company of his rabbit driver, having another friend would do him some good, and as long as they were making good time, he didn’t want to question it. But, for now, he basked in the calming silence…

“...?!”

The car jerked to the right towards the sidewalk, causing Edward to momentarily fear for his life, their vehicle stopping right in front of a string of shops. It took Edward a moment to find his bearings, his eyes darting around to the windows and the signs. They were close to the central plaza and the market. Though…

“Why’d we stop?” he whispered to himself.

“I’ve got some things to pick up,” Samuel answered matter-of-factly. “You should come with. It should only take a second—don’t take that literally, please.” The rabbit turned the key inside the ignition and removed it, the entire ring of keys jingling around until they made it inside his back pocket. Edward caught a smug expression on Sami’s snout as he continued, “You can stay in the car if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s been quite the scorcher with the summer season right around the corner. Would hate to leave you in a car with an all-black interior.”

The brown-furred rabbit put on his sunglasses and opened the door, hopping out of the vehicle with an audible ‘thud.’ Edward considered staying inside the comfort of the back of the car for a moment, but eventually conceded and followed his Zuber driver with a low head and an averted gaze to the building in front of them. He barely registered the shopkeeper's bell that chimed above him.

It didn’t take long for him to eye up the place—more specifically, the cakes and pastries sitting in the display case in front of him. Edward was clearly in a bakery. It had this rustic, modern look to it that rivaled Snarlbucks. It used varying combinations of dark woods along the walls, floors, and furniture that contrasted with the light and colorful foods sitting comfortably on display under the warm lighting scattered sparsely around the room. Off to the far right corner near the entrance to the back of the bakery were tables, booths, and chairs for mammals if they cared to dine in. The entire place felt refreshing, warm, and inviting. If he wasn’t in such a rush to get back to the city, Edward would have considered having a cupcake or two.

“Heyo,” Sami announced loudly, cupping his paws towards the kitchen door.

“Hey Sami,” came a thick accent. “Gimme two seconds ‘nd I-I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

Edward took the time to take another look around, noticing a few more details that he’d missed the first time. Apart from the pictures of Bunnyburrow that hung proudly along the walls, he noticed the sign that proudly displayed the logo of the Hopps’ farm, insinuating some sort of partnership. Edward assumed Sami was here to collect something from the owner.

Two seconds later, a body pushed the door to the kitchen open, holding a pair of pies in both paws.

“You got here right on time. Me and Travis were ‘bout to close up shop. Just got these pies right off the—”

Edward froze when their gazes finally connected. The baker mimicked the wolf, the corners of his mouth dropping when a look of shocked recollection rushed onto his muzzle.

“Ed?” the fox asked.

“Hey, Gideon.”

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

“So let me get this straight,” the pig across from Edward spoke in between bites of delicious red velvet cake. “These… flowers… are what’s causing predators to go savage, and on top of that, someone is willingly and intentionally  _ targeting  _ them in the city?”

Edward nodded, still trying desperately to hide that his body was shaking.

After the visit to the bakery and the train ride back home to Zootopia, the wolf felt his anxiety grow worse and worse. He thought that he’d successfully pushed the story to the back of his mind. How wrong he was. He’d prevented the inevitable, sure, but now that he was physically present, mentally he felt as if he was in shambles. He felt so weak…

So…  _ weak _ .

“Don’t forget about the list,” Charles added, setting his now clear plate onto the coffee table. Edward forced his attention back to the conversation. “Florists and reporters are the two most common among affected predators. If what Edward is saying is true, then we’ve got an even bigger problem on our paws.”

“I made the list, Charles. I can’t forget that easily.” Anders pinched the bridge of his snout, sighed, then crossed his arms. “This… this sounds crazy. No, this  _ is _ crazy. There’s no way that this tiny little flower is the source.”

“Anders,” Edward firmly spoke, immediately drawing both mammals’ attention to him, then sputtered when the confidence drained from his face. “I-I know for a fact Midnicampum Holicithias is the key. I’ve got two accounts from my sources that classify both a wolf and, get this, a  _ rabbit _ , becoming adversely affected when they came into contact with the plant. Or rather, the inner shell of its seed.”

“W-what?” Anders and Charles gasped.

“Is this real?” Charles questioned, the prey animal beside him choking on some of the cake he was eating before.

“As real as it can be. Two interviews confirmed that a rabbit had attacked another when it had digested the flower whole, and the wolf I described is my brother, done in by the same circumstance.”

There was a moment of deafening silence between the three mammals. Edward figured this would happen. He just dropped the biggest bombshell in history. Neither of them spoke for a solid minute, but Charles was the one to go first.

“You guys realize how big this is right?” Silence followed. The tiger continued. “If this whole… Nighthowler plant is the cause, and someone is really behind predators going savage… we just stumbled upon something diabolical. What’s worse is that we’re putting ourselves in the crosshairs.” Silence again. Charles got up and slowly paced around the room. “Think about it. The list you made, Anders, is about a quarter full of reporters and one-half florists. I don’t know about you, but with what Ed said, I think that’s too much a coincidence. Ed, do you know if the plant is kept within the city? Did you get anything on that?”

“It’s usually kept in seed form at some florist shops.”

“There’s the florist connection. So now all we need to know is why there are so many reporters—”

“I… might have the answer to that one,” Anders interrupted. “You guys should know that—” he paused, looking downcast as he revealed what came next, “that Kristy was writing about Nighthowlers before she turned.”

“Wait a minute,” Edward said. “Kristy? You mean Kristy Blanc?”

Anders nodded. The wolf’s ears flattened. “We talked it over today after she was fired and before… she turned. She was investigating the recent robberies in Happytown. Apparently, there were some florists in the area whose shops got broken into and barely anything being done about it. According to Kristy, the Nighthowler seeds were the only items stolen, and that whoever stole them weren’t just some common street thugs looking for a quick buck. Even the police who have been investigating for months haven’t found any leads.”

“So, let’s recap,” Charles doubled back. “Whoever this is, going around stealing Midnicampum Holicithias from flower stores around the city, is somehow using the plant to turn mammals savage, specifically preds.”

Edward and Anders nodded their heads in approval. 

“Why would they need to steal if…” Charles’s face lit up, snapping at the light bulb going off in his head.

“What if… now, this is off the cuff, so bear with me… if these guys are stealing, maybe they attempted to acquire it legally and failed. Then when they couldn’t work some deal out with the florists, the thieves resorted to turning the store owner savage and stealing the goods. Or maybe they’re just sealing it outright, who knows? But, then there’s the aftermath: reporters swarming in to cover the most current news, who unknowingly stumble upon this information and get overzealous in an attempt to uncover whatever this is. Then they get too close to the answer and get caught.”

Although Edward was still frightened by this, he was happy that Charles had come to the same conclusion he had, confirming that the wolf wasn’t crazy after all. But, Charles wasn’t finished yet.

“At this point, I’d even consider that whoever’s doing this has ties that go all the way to the police. You said it yourself, Anders, if several other reporters uncovered this exact story, and the thieves are connected to the cops, who's to say that some evidence got ‘lost’ in booking?”

“T-that’s ludicrous!” Anders stammered. “There’s no way the cops could let something as big as this slip through the cracks.”

“You and I both know that’s bullshit, Andy. We just ran a story about that cop in the Tundratown precinct who assisted a wannabe mobster in trying to dispose of some evidence, which you looked over by the way, so you can’t deny that it’s a possibility. We’ve seen enough cop movies to know better. Besides, there’s no way these mammals are that good. You’re an editor, and you of all mammals should know that we writers are far from perfect. These guys are bound to slip up.”

“No, you misunderstand, what I meant is… most of the mammals in the ZPD are predators. How on earth could they in good conscience let this happen? This is straight chemical warfare.”

The tiger simply shrugged. “This is just me thinking aloud. The cops could be clean, these robbers could be good, and for all we know, it’s just somemammal trying to make some money. We’re still animals, Andy. Who’s to say that this isn’t possible?”

“If…  _ if _ what you said about the robberies is true, then what about the mammals running stores that are prey? The prey reporters? What about them?”

“Maybe they aren’t the curious type? And even if they are—or  _ were _ —who’s to say that they didn’t face the wrath of whoever these mammals are? The afflicted predators aren’t the only missing mammals out there, you know. There are millions of mammals living in Zootopia, mammals from all walks of life. Even with the other precincts, the ZPD can’t possibly keep track of them all.

“The way I see it, it’s logical. Plus, it doesn’t take that much to put the pieces together. Any farmer, florist, or mammal who’s smart enough could see that something’s up.”

“So now what?” Edward weakly said.

“As cheesy as it sounds, I think we should find out whoever is doing this and bring what we have to the Chief of Police, which will hopefully bring this menace to justice.”

“But, they’re targeting reporters,” Anders challenged. “What makes you think that they won’t find out what we’re doing and… and—?”

“We play it safe.”

“...How?” Edward whimpered.

“We keep it close to the chest. Any information shared between us stays between us. No one else can know.”

“What… what about the story?” Edward asked. “Our story? Horn wants something before Saturday. What you’re considering could take weeks. We could lose our jobs, Charlie. We could… end up savage ourselves.”

Charles looked at the wolf with a heartbreaking stare. The tiger let out a sigh, “I know. I guess… I just want to help. If we really want to bring whoever this is to justice and save the predators in the city, I think we should do something. For me, I don’t think there’s any other option—we’ll have to abandon our story.”

Hearing that nearly made the wolf’s heart stop.

“I know it’s hard to hear that after everything we’ve been through, but you have to think about the consequences, the bigger picture. It’s just like that Gazelle story you wrote. If we take this story right now with everything we have and run it, we’ll lose. Sure, we put the limelight on both the problem and the mammal running the whole show, which will allow the cops to get to work on getting Nighthowlers out of the city, but doing so would put ourselves at risk. One story won’t stop them from targeting us. All this story would be is a scare tactic meant to deter them from whatever they’re doing, and I doubt they’ll stop afterward. I wouldn’t be surprised if something were to happen to us after it’s posted.

“Personally, I can’t just sit around and do nothing. Despite the risk, we could save lives, and that’s more than enough reason for me. However, I don’t think I can do this without you guys.”

Edward couldn’t fathom the situation he found themselves in. It didn’t feel real. All this talk about conspiracies, dirty cops, the danger of going savage, it felt like fiction. It didn’t sit well with Edward. In fact, he was starting to have second thoughts. Charles was the one who put their whole situation into perspective. Sure, they could save thousands of innocent lives, but at what cost? Their own sanity? Their own safety? Their very lives? 

“Looks like we all have a decision to make,” Charles said. “Don’t we?”

  
  



	15. Calm...

  _...According to a public report on file with the Zootopia Police Department, there was an instance where the officer on the case determined that the term ‘Nighthowler’ was being used as a pseudonym for the security group hired to guard the missing mammals found at Cliffside Asylum, who are filed officially as ‘The Lost Pack Security Agency.’ Due to the sensitivity and secrecy of the Agency’s operation, while probable, the possibility of the group’s codename having been assigned this is slim at best, as there were no other references available to support this. However, what most mammals don’t realize is that the term ‘Nighthowler’ has another meaning, which happens to be its official name. It is referred most commonly to botanists, florists, and farmers as Midnicampum Holicithias, a Class-C botanical known to have a distinct chemical property that is used by most farmers to ward off insects on other surrounding crops. To explain further, please refer to the transcripts of Alabaster Snow, Stewart Hopps, Jane Thumper, Timothy Bucks, Howard Grey, Bruce Catmull, and Frederick Lupin._

_This chemical that is given off by these plants is strong. The effects of the flower are said to “rival that of some forms of pesticides,” as stated by Frederick. Moreover, farmers such as Jane and Timothy believe that these plants are dangerous if not handled with extreme care, expressing their deep concern with their children about going near the plants at all. Both Stewart’s and Alabaster’s accounts specifically state this to be the case, as they recall instances where family members had ingested the flower whole and had to be hospitalized due to sudden unwarranted, aggressive, and uncharacteristic behavior not shown before by either victim._

_Further information also suggests that canid families such as the Snows, Lupins, and Greys refer to the plant by its nickname rather than its official term, while feline families—the Catmulls in this case—and rabbit families—which include the Thumpers, Hoppses, and Bucks—prefer the official naming of the plant. For canids, it is believed that the nickname derives from the night because of the flower's look. As seen from the picture attached, the rich purple hue and yellow gradient interior look similar to the glow of the moon against the night sky, something that holds paramount personal and cultural significance for wolves. It is safe to assume that this knowledge of the origins of the more common nickname appear foreign to the remainder of the city populace, which consists mostly of prey mammals._

_Compared to the urban setting of Zootopia, farming is all but extinct. According to Alabaster, most flower stores within the city limits rarely have Midnicampum Holicithias in stock, so mammals who do not have the technical know-how with floristry, botany, or a background in farming would not be privy to this information, more so if the mammal had not grown up in a canid environment. Even with the urban mammal utopia, the plant isn’t entirely impossible to purchase. Almost all florists located in the city supply ‘Nighthowlers’ in its seed form, and comes with a hefty price tag. This high cost has left some in search of this plant desperate with the recent increase in robberies around Savannah Central and Happytown specifically, leaving flower shops in those areas reeling for answers as to why one of the only items stolen were Midnicampum Holicithias._

_…_

Edward stared at the document on the screen of Charles’ personal laptop, his eyes wandering to the blinking cursor fading in and out of existence after a quick glance over what he had written on the page, prying away his thin attention span. The music playing through his earbuds was no longer working, and even the coffee he was drinking moments before had already begun to backfire on him.

With a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his snout, then went to rub his strained eyes. It was a feeble attempt to keep his focus and stay awake, almost succumbing to it. He needed to fight the urge to sleep. He could feel his body’s desire for rest. After squaring things with Alabaster, walking around for interviews around the Burrows, and revealing his relationship with multiple mammals, Edward was physically and emotionally drained. It began to show in the form of inattentiveness and sluggish processing. What made matters worse was that his task was nowhere near complete.

It took Edward all the strength he had to come to a consensus on his next move. It was a big deal. His choice affected his life significantly considering the financial and safety implications. Simply knowing was overwhelming. Unsurprisingly, a mild anxiety attack took hold and shook the wolf up, his friends voicing their concern and reassurances. But, he managed to find his resolve and finalized his decision to drop the story assigned by his boss and forfeiting his job at the _Gazette_. Edward knew Charles was right, and Anders agreed; their job security and safety were moot if it meant saving the lives of countless mammals. It was a risk they had to be willing to take – after all, as Anders said to him, ‘fortune favors the bold.’

So the trio immediately went to work compiling everything they had on ‘Nighthowlers.’ They began by making physical copies of their recordings in the form of transcripts and printing physical copies of what pictures they had on file of the flower. Edward went to work creating a report of their findings and their claim, while Charles and Anders planned out their next step. That was hours ago. It was nearing two-thirty in the morning now, and it seemed that their momentum was starting to die down. With so much to still do before they could send their findings to the ZPD and the need for absolute perfection, they needed to be at their best.

Curious as to how Anders and Charles were faring, the wolf glanced over his shoulder at his two colleagues and observed them from afar. Charles looked unfazed from the effects of sleep, appearing almost stoic as he worked through their information. Anders, on the other paw, was somewhat functional, but he was clearly beginning to struggle now that he was on his second cup of coffee.

Both predator and prey discussed silently amongst themselves while the wolf continued staring. Edward wasn’t curious enough to attempt to eavesdrop, nor did he have the willpower to turn down the music blasting in his ears, so he tried his best to read their lips, but to no avail. He struggled to make out even a single word from their conversation, and eventually he gave up, resigning himself to not being in the know. He would figure out where they were soon enough.

Edward closed the laptop after saving the document. With a stretch, he got up and sluggishly trod over to the dinner table where Charles and Anders were working. When they noticed the wolf, their conversation ceased, flashing a pair of smiles his way.

“Where are we at?” the wolf asked exhaustedly, taking out one of the earbuds in his ears and rubbing his eyes.

“We’re close to finishing the transcripts and we printed most of the pictures you sent us,” Charles answered. “Now we’re moving onto what we still need, which is still a lot.”

“We still have a couple of things we need to answer before we can finalize anything,” Anders added, “such as ‘what’s making the effects of the flower last so long,’ or ‘how are they picking their targets,’ and obviously, ‘who’s behind all this.’ So, to start, we're creating a list of all the flower shops in the city, starting with Savannah Central. We need to find out which stores stock Midnicampum and which don’t, then find out how many stores out of that bunch have been broken into, and finally, see if any of the owners are MIA. After that, we need to figure out if our perps are buying the plant legitimately or not. If we're lucky, we might find something.”

“Or someone,” Charles reminded.

“That sounds…” a yawn escaped the wolf’s snout, a sharp but quiet whine piercing the air as his head fell into his arms on the back of a wooden chair, “...like a plan.”

“Looks like our little wolfy’s getting sleepy,” the tiger grinned with a sing-song tone.

“Just a little bit…” Edward managed to get out before shutting his eyes.

“Why don’t you head on home and leave the rest to us,” Anders offered. Edward’s eyes shot back open. “I’m sure you’re far enough along in the summary to warrant some sleep. Where are you at on it?”

“I finished our findings in the Burrows and explained what Midnicampum is. I’m working on the connection between the florists right now.”

“Perfect. We still need some of that info, so I think that’ll be enough for tonight.”

“I’ll pick up your stuff back at the office tomorrow,” Charles said. “That way you won’t have to bother with taking the subway. I’m sure Sharla will appreciate it.”

“I don’t know,” Edward muttered sullenly, rubbing the back of his neck with his paw. “I hope me quitting isn’t going to hurt us in any way.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind considering the circumstances. She’ll understand.”

When Edward didn’t reply, he noticed the corners of Charles’s mouth dipping slightly into a near frown. He should believe his friend. He definitely should believe in his wife. But, of course, he had his own doubts.

If his mother was still alive, she would have scolded him for sure. How was abandoning a dream remotely understandable? If she wouldn’t let Alabaster give up his dream at owning and running a farm, she’d be damned if she gave up on him, and he was positive that after tonight she would be rolling in her grave. Maybe it was better to say he was putting his dream on hold instead of a full stop? He wasn’t sure. Breaking the news to Sharla was going to be tough. He didn’t want any of this situation to end up pushing her away.

There was a lot for Edward to consider before he arrived back at his apartment.

An orange paw rested atop the wolf’s shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Get some rest, Ed. You need it.”

“We’ve got it covered,” Anders assured. “We should have more information by the time you get back, so just take it easy. This isn’t going anywhere.”

“Right,” Edward mumbled.

He didn’t have much input on the matter. Personally, Edward felt like there was still more he could have done to help further their progress, but he knew that the exhaustion overwhelming him wasn't going to help him think clearly, which wouldn’t translate well on his summary if he continued working.

Without so much as a word, the wolf collected whatever belongings he had that made it outside of his backpack, almost managing to trip on the leg of the nearby coffee table, uttering his trademark curse that gained a chuckle from Charles and a roll of the eyes from Anders. A bright red blush flushed into the canid’s face and ears and, slightly embarrassed, he turned his back to both mammals with some newfound adrenaline.

“See you later, guys.” The wolf awkwardly waved behind him, Charles and Anders voicing their goodbyes before Edward was finally up and out of the apartment.

He found himself down the couple flights of stairs and out of the building in record time, burning off whatever embarrassment and excess energy that remained in his system. A mental map of the city flashed in his head while he walked up the boulevard, eventually determining the most optimal route to lead him back home. With his course set, he let out a yawn and basked in the view of the city’s skyline. It was truly a marvelous sight.

_Marvelous…_ Edward repeated, unsure if his use of the word was truly warranted.

It was a strange feeling, looking upon the city in a new light. He no longer needed to worry about turning into a ‘savage,’ hell-bent on maiming and mauling everything in his path, plus the emptiness he felt regarding the newfound strength of his familial ties was surprisingly fuller for the first time in his life, while the other mammals in the city continued turning on each other, descending further into madness. Edward, like the other residents living within Zootopia, should be frightened. Considering how the last month had played out for him, he should be feeling melancholic. Should he run down the list again?

His mother just passed away. His dream was being snatched away from him without so much as a word. With the new light shed on savage predators (or rather, mammals) in the city, his safety was at risk. The citizens of the city were starting to turn against who he was as a predatory animal—that is, if they weren’t already. And if the prejudice wasn’t bad enough, his very marriage was another monster entirely. With the notion of it being taboo already, the very idea of a pred-prey relationship sparked controversy. Not only was it rare, it was virtually unrealistic to find an interspecies couple who were natural enemies.

However, Edward found himself in an interesting position. He wasn’t feeling sad, or fearful… for the most part. In fact, he felt quite the opposite. The weight, the tremendous pressure put on him through years of hardship, had up and vanished without a trace. Amidst the chaos, apart from the usual anxiousness he felt and the understandable fear of something new on the horizon, he felt surprisingly safe.

Edward was surrounded by groups of mammals who loved and supported him. He was married to an incredible mammal who loved and supported him through thick and thin. Even after many years, his family was on his side. This strange feeling was remarkably similar to what he had felt on the car ride back to the Bunnyburrow Train Station. Was this what confidence felt like?

Edward shook his head in disbelief and chuckled to himself, “I must really be exhausted.”

When his eyes caught the stunning skyline once more, he took in its features, nearly stopping in his tracks. There was never a chance that he would get tired of it. Rain or shine, night or day, he was blessed that he had the pleasure of calling the city of Zootopia ‘home.’ Regardless of the hecklers and the settlers who stated otherwise, it was truly the place where anyone could be anything. Edward and Sharla, Gideon, and even Judy Hopps herself were living proof of that ideal. That was the reason he needed to pursue these ‘Nighthowlers.’ Not for some story, not some job, but for the city he loved.

_Anyone can be anything, right?_ Edward asked himself. The thought ran through his head again, and again, until finally humoring the idea with another. _So why not be a hero?_

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

_He’s going to hate me,_ Charles glumly concluded, sipping at a stemless glass full of delicious cabernet sauvignon.

The tiger was resting alone on the sofa in his living room, trying to take a load off after a long night’s work by enjoying a nice glass of wine from a bottle he had sitting open on the counter. He truly needed it after tonight, and he wasn’t about to waste the alcohol. So Charles rightfully indulged his gullet, replaying the events of that night in his head.

After hours of careful deliberation, collecting, and planning, their small group had built up enough evidence to begin tackling the missing links that had yet to be discovered within their pile of transcripts, reports, and photographs.

The first question the three of them deduced from their collection was the need to find out why the effects of Midnicampum Holicithias were still present in the afflicted predators. Anders was the first to bring this up. Since they were certain the flower itself wasn’t found anywhere with any of the mammals at the scene of where they’d turned—to their knowledge—the running theory was that someone was abusing the plants and its chemicals to somehow turn them into something drastically more potent, similar to the strength of some pharmaceutical drugs such as ibuprofen and morphine. Moreover, the higher concentration of Nighthowler meant that either the chemical would have to come into direct contact with the victim, or it was injected directly into the bloodstream. If they were fortunate enough, if the chemical made contact with any of the predators, this would mean that they would have traces of it laced into the strands of their fur. Unfortunately, they had no way of knowing for sure. Due to the lack of trust in the ZPD and the scarcity of evidence overall, they had no way to prove it. Their claim was a crapshoot at best.

The other major question they felt inclined to answer was the way predators were being targeted in the city. What was the selection process? Was there one to begin with? Was randomization taken into consideration? How did the timing work? Apart from what they knew about mammals who got too close to the truth, there wasn’t much that could be deduced from the list of mammals they had. Before they came to any conclusion, they needed to get more information, which meant they had to be patient.

Lastly, came the big one: who? Who in their right mind would terrorize the city of Zootopia and its predators? Ex-Mayor Lionheart seemed like a good mammal, someone who could be trusted. Charles trusted him. Edward trusted him. Even Anders did. The more Charles recalled the events that Judy outlined in her report and the evidence their small team collected, it was obvious that all Lionheart wanted to do was get the savage mammals contained and understand the issue. Except, he wasn’t even close to cracking the case. Although what Lionheart did in kidnapping the savage mammals was inherently wrong, it was clear he shared no involvement in the attacks themselves. Like Lionheart, they didn’t have a clue who might be doing this or why. The trail wasn’t cold yet, but if their flower shop lead didn’t get them to where they needed to be, there was a good chance they’d be back at square one. Letting the trail go cold was not an option. Charles wouldn’t let it.

Their research into flower shops around the city was the next step, and if they could find anything remotely close to a lead, it would be groundbreaking. Surely it wouldn’t within the next few hours? Right? That’s why Charles had the wine in the first place. Considering how the tiger was feeling, he felt like he deserved a glass or two. Which led to the other reason for his late night drink: Edward.

Charles took another sip of his wine the moment his best friend’s name crossed his mind, savoring the dry, rich, and tantalizing flavor it brought to his taste buds. It was a great distraction.

To be more specific, what troubled Charles the most about the whole situation was their jobs at the _Gazette_. It was the fact that Edward alone was receiving the brunt of Danielle Horn’s wrath, costing the wolf both his job and his dream, and there was nothing Charles could do to stop it. Even the recording he had of Horn was practically useless with the attack involving Kristy. It was her ace in the hole, and with it being so close to the office, Horn would be considered right in her judgment. Edward’s fate was sealed.

Charles wanted to do more. He wanted very much to fight for his friend’s job and keep working to get their story out to the public so they could save the city. If he weren’t so tight on money, he wouldn’t have second thoughts about joining Edward, and the last thing he wanted was to burden Edward or Sharla again financially. He needed this job. If he left the _Gazette_ , he would once again have to go on a job hunt. Considering his past experience trying to find work, it would be near impossible with the city in chaos. Who in their right mind would hire another predator if they had the chance of going savage? Charles knew without a doubt he had nothing to worry about as long as he played their story close to the chest, but the rest of Zootopia didn’t know what was truly going on.

_How am I going to tell him?_ Charles debated. _He’s lost so much. Now he’s forced to give up his job, alone, and now I have to explain to him how I selfishly put my own job ahead of his. Horn, you’re a fucking bitch._

He scoffed at the derogatory insult and stared down the red liquid in his glass. Even though Edward’s situation technically wasn’t his fault, Charles knew that he played a part in withholding crucial information from his friend for the sake and security of his own job.  There wasn’t any point in lying to him either. Charles didn’t have the heart to. He’d be lucky if he didn’t lose Edward in the process. Lying would make the situation ten times as worse in the long run. Their friendship meant the world to him. Losing Edward meant losing a piece of who Charles was, and that notion frightened him the most.

Another sip of his wine bounced around the insides of his mouth. Swallowing brought a drawn out sigh laced with the contentment and frustration he felt.

_I guess I have to tell him the truth._

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

After living in the _Grand Pangolin Arms_ for the better part of three years, Edward concluded that the complex was virtually sneakproof.

The creaky floorboards that made up the hallways of the complex were old, to say the least. A single step onto one of these wooden boards would foil any opportunity of a surprise encounter. At night, this issue only managed to worsen. Even without attuned hearing, the loud creaking was a sound that often woke most mammals up, Edward and Sharla included. So when it became a common problem with residents, it was understandable as to why. The main concern was it made it difficult for those who had opposite sleep schedules. But, instead of fixing the problem, their landlord was taking her sweet time. This left the bulk of the residents to deal with the constant creaking.

Those who worked night shifts had long since left, so the complex would be silent. The last thing Edward wanted was to cause a noise complaint.  As if a stroke of dumb luck had brushed his fur, he wasn’t as loud as he thought he would be.

For starters, the door didn’t catch on the frame like it had previously, preventing what should have been a loud crash on the floor. Then, as he ascended up to the third floor, the steps of the stair maintained their silence thanks to Edward’s careful maneuvering. Finally, as he walked the final stretch towards his apartment, the dreaded floorboards became his last obstacle. After a handful of cautious, stressful steps, he found himself standing in front of his apartment door. His ears flicked in several directions to make sure. Not a sound.

Edward let out the pent-up breath he didn’t realize was hiding in his lungs. He finally made it back home. The wolf stared at the gold numbers ‘302’ while he dug through his left pocket for the key. Several seconds passed him by, then he stood there confused as he checked again.

“...”

Nothing. His pocket was empty. Edward’s heart began to race as he dug into his right pocket, removing his phone to make the search easier, only to find it also missing his key. Worried that he might misplace his phone as well, he stuffed the device back where it was. When checking his back pockets brought a similar fate, his dread fell into a minor panic. This was due in part to their armadillo landlady and making sure residents kept track of their keys at all times. What made this worse, however, was because he knew that the only way he was getting in was sleeping beyond that door.

He and Sharla wouldn’t normally worry about locking themselves out of their home. It happened all the time back when they were dorming at U-of-Z. Whether it was after the usual party, the late-night study sessions at the library, or several times in their current apartment, they managed to somehow leave or misplace their key. Of course, there was frustration on both sides, either about letting the other in or being the poor soul on the other side of the door. But they knew that it wasn’t something to get too upset about. Mammals were far from perfect, and they were no exception.

In this instance, after an unannounced return from the Burrows, this would spark some sort of conversation. Edward wasn’t prepared for that yet.

He looked down the hall and towards the stairs, finding the hallways of the complex vacant. The wolf rested his head on the door, contemplating his next move. Hiding from his wife, albeit a silly solution, wasn’t an option, and neither was avoiding the issue. What was he going to do, hide out in the common area? She’d find out about his return sooner or later, whether it be from Charles or finding him while preparing a meal. He couldn’t camp out in the hallway either, their landlady would have his head. A confrontation was inevitable.

Edward found some essence of resolve as he sucked in some air, bringing his paw up to the door. As he was about to knock on the door, he paused, then facepawed.

_We have phones for a reason, dumb wolf,_ Edward thought to himself, pulling the device back out. _Do you want to wake the entire floor?_

He navigated to Sharla’s contact and initiated the call without missing a beat, thinking it would be better to get this conversation out of the way sooner rather than later. The lupine brought the device to his ear. A couple rings played through the speaker, each tone a little more nerve-wracking than the last. In the middle of the fourth ring, he could hear Sharla’s ringtone faintly through the door. Edward heard his ewe shuffle about in the room, followed by a loud groan. Then came her tired voice, both through the door and delayed through the speaker.

“Hello?” she asked groggily.

“Hey, Sharla.”

“Eddy? What are you doing up?” She paused. “It’s three in the morning.”

“I came back from Bunnyburrow early. I think I forgot my key. Could you be the best wife in the world and open the door for a forgetful husband?”

Another annoyed groan left the ewe’s throat, made louder through the door and the phone. “Gimme a sec,” she complied, yawning uncaringly into the microphone, “I gotta put a shirt on.”

The call abruptly ended, leaving Edward alone out in the hallway. During that time, a contagious yawn built up in his lungs. He noticed how tired he was becoming when he expelled the air. The sooner he relayed the news to Sharla, the quicker he could rest. He felt heavy after such a long day.

The door opened to reveal a half awake, half asleep ewe, struggling to find her balance on the handle of the door. As far as he could tell, the only article of clothing on her body appeared to be one of his many button-ups, lazily put together every other button. His cheeks and ears became increasingly warmer, lewd thoughts threatening to sully the task at hand. He quickly whisked himself inside the apartment before the thoughts took hold.

“I’m guessing I left my key in the bowl?” Edward asked as he shut the door.

“Mhmm,” the sheep groaned with a nod.

Edward set his backpack on the ground near their ‘closet’ area, then found himself standing aimlessly in the middle of the room, mentally preparing himself. When he finally chose to open his maw, Sharla grabbed him by the paw and led him towards the bed, ceasing any sort of conversation. He was determined.

“Sharla,” Edward came to a stop, ears drooping. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” She climbed onto the bed and gave him a tired glance. “I need my big bad wolf to give me cuddles.”

“It can’t Shar. I need to talk about this now. It’s serious.”

Her expression immediately changed to that of confusion, worry, and care as she slowly made her way back over to him. She placed one hoof in his paw and the other over his stomach.

“What’s wrong, hon? Was it the trip back to the Burrows? Was it your father? Did he say something awful again?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. He was quite admirable this time around. H-he even asked if you wanted to come over sometime.” When he saw more confusion in her stare, he quickly shook it off and went straight to the point. “It’s about work, Shar. You know, the story I’m doing with Charlie?”

“What about it?”

His anxious shaking once again made an untimely appearance, sneaking up on him upon her query, and he forced himself to sit on the couch to find his courage. He took a breath.

“We’re walking out of our jobs, Sharla.”

Silence. Five whole seconds of bone-chilling silence between husband and wife. She looked shocked.

“What?” Sharla finally managed to get out. “Why?”

“The story isn’t what we thought it was. In order for us to make the cut for Sunday’s headline we have to collect a whole new set of evidence with interviews and data, and we haven’t even started writing it. Even if we started now, there’s no way that we’d make Horn’s deadline.”

“You can’t just give up, babe. Writing’s your dream. You wanted this since you were little.”

“We have no choice. If we run the story in its raw form right now, Horn would fire us on the spot.   She wants a hit story. She wants perfection. What we have right now isn’t even close. We were doomed to fail from the start.” He paused, a thought bringing a melancholic energy to him. “Plus, I think it’s for the best.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Ever since we got back from Mom’s funeral, the whole city’s been turned upside down. Mammals fear of being mauled or maimed, and with more predators turning savage, it’s all crazy. A co-worker of mine recently turned in the parking lot right outside our building, and knowing Danielle, I bet she’s trying her best to create a safe environment for her staff… even if it means letting predators go.”

“That’s… that’s wrong! She can’t just fire mammals whenever she wants.”

“Considering the circumstances, she’s within her right. It's a judgment call. Either she eliminates the problem now to prevent a potential catastrophe, or she risks the lives of all the mammals on the floor. You know she’s going with the former.”

“But…”

“It’s alright, Sharla. Trust me, I hate her and I hate that it’s come to this, but I’m not going to fight it. I’m a wolf, a predatory animal. I don’t want to risk anyone’s life. I couldn’t live with that on my conscience.”

The two shared a moment of silence. Her hoof enveloped itself in Edward’s grey and white-furred paw, the small show of understanding helping the wolf begin to slowly cope with this harsh reality.

“W-will we be okay?” Edward asked. “Will we still be able to manage with only one of us working?”

Sharla raised a brow. “Eddy, I make a six-figure salary. We’re living in a shoebox, so rent’s a breeze. Even if you were just a housemammal, we had another mouth to feed, and a better apartment, we’d still have some money to spare.”

“Sorry,” the wolf pouted, “I just don’t want to feel like I’m not contributing—”

“You’re fine, hon. It’s not like this is gonna be a permanent thing. You’re not the type of mammal to just sit around and do nothing all day. I know you’ll find work sooner or later. Other news companies are bound to be hiring around the city with what's going on right now.. Besides, you’re a hard-working mammal. You’re reliable, caring, tenacious, and insanely cute, so who wouldn’t hire you?”

The sentiment gained the wolf a smile. He was all of those things, or rather, she thought he was. Edward wasn’t exactly beaming with self-confidence to begin with. To hear them coming from his mate, it definitely gave him a small boost.

“Thanks, Shar. You’re right. I’ve got Charles with me too. At least I won’t be alone in this.”

“Thank the stars for that.” She gave him a short kiss on the side of his muzzle. “It’s what I’m here for, love. I’m sure you both will have jobs in no time. Now come on,” the ewe pulled on his arm, “it’s three in the morning. Let’s at least try to get some sleep this time.”

Edward didn’t hesitate as he stripped away his button-up and jeans while Sharla took the shirt around her body off and threw it in the direction of the couch. Now in bed, the two mammals cuddled with each other, Sharla nuzzling the lupine’s chest while silver and white-furred arms wrapped themselves around the ewe.

Sharla knew. She now knew about Edward leaving his job and supported the decision wholeheartedly. On top of that, because of Edward’s careful wording, she had no knowledge of the specifics of the story and what’s truly happening to predators in the city. He wanted to tell her, to show her that she had nothing to be afraid of. However, doing so would put her at risk from the thing he was trying to protect her from. It was a double-edged sword.

He stayed in his thoughts for the moment, trying to find some sort of solace that she would be safe, but he couldn’t. What if she thought she wasn’t safe? He didn’t want to lose the best thing to ever happen to him. It was yet another concern looming over his head, and something he felt important to ask while he had the chance.

“These predators going savage… it’s getting worse. I can’t help but think that I’ll turn into one of them, and that I’ll hurt you somehow. Are… are you scared of me, Sharla? You know, with… everything going—”

Before he could finish, the ewe pulled the wolf even closer. She tugged gently on his fur and with a bleat enveloped him with her wonderful scent, just as she did the night prior. The intimate interaction was tantalizing, as it left him wanting more. But instead of playing on his lustful desires, her mark managed to calm his restless thoughts and whatever doubts he still had. She claimed all of his trust.

“I could never be afraid of you,” she said assuredly, kissing him on the side of his muzzle. “I love you, my little pup.”

“I love you too,” he quietly let out. The corners of his mouth raised slightly. That sentiment was all he needed before his eyes finally closed and allowed sleep to claim him.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

The ewe felt the warm, calming breaths of her mate’s slumber, the rise and fall of his chest lulling her closer to sleep’s clutches, and the comfortably soft fur that acted as a living pillow. If only she wasn’t so rudely awakened by that phone call. How she was still awake after feeling so deathly tired moments before was baffling to her.

Getting a hunch as to the reason why, Sharla leaned her ear into the wolf and listened closely to his heartbeat.

_Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum…_

Slow. Steady. Perhaps most importantly, calm. A wave of relief rushed over her. She looked up to catch a glimpse of her husband’s features with a sigh.

When Sharla left Judy after lunch, the first thing she thought about was the happy memories she and Edward had shared. The rabbit had inquired a little more about the ewe’s husband, such as his job and where he grew up. She didn’t disclose the nastier side of the Snow family. That was a topic for another time, preferably with Edward explaining it all himself. She was happy.

Then she saw the news.

Another savage predator. Normally, she wouldn’t worry about it, especially when it came to Edward and this problem. Her husband was a kind, good-natured mammal, so there was no chance of it happening to him. Right? That’s what made this report different for Sharla. The predator involved was a snow leopard, Kristy Blanc. She was one of Edward’s coworkers at the _Gazette_. At the time, she couldn’t quite explain the jarring shift from her complacent stance on the recent attacks, but seeing the connection of his workplace made her worry. With Edward working at that news company, he had the chance of turning himself. Connecting the dots made something inside her snap. Every alarm bell inside her screamed ‘danger,’ all of which was directed towards her mate.

It hurt Sharla lying to Edward. It didn’t sit right with her. In actuality, he was more worried than her, afraid that he might hurt her in any way. Turning savage was just another problem on Edward’s growing list of ‘shit that has/have/will go(ne) wrong.’ Now they had to handle the repercussions of Edward walking away from his job—the most recent addition to that dreaded list. The world was crashing down on him, and here she was making things worse.

In all honesty, she was glad for Edward, even if some of the reasoning behind her happiness was strictly one-sided. But, it was less stress that Sharla and, more importantly, Edward had to deal with, and that’s all that mattered.

If everything she was watching about the cases of savage predators was right, and that increased heart rate and blood pressure were key factors, then she was in trouble. How long before another bad hand was dealt Edward’s way? How long before it could spell disaster? Then again, what if the experts were wrong? The issue was still new to Zootopia and had yet to be studied thoroughly. Maybe it wasn’t his heart? Maybe it wasn’t in his biology? Maybe there was no chance of him going savage?

This whole experience was foreign to her. With her outstanding confidence and gratuitous compassion, she shouldn’t have been thinking this way. She couldn’t think this way. She loved Edward. She loved everything about her husband. They were supposed to love and help each other through anything and overcome any obstacles thrown their way. They were mates. Playing with his trust was the last thing she should be doing.

_But…_

Sharla was still afraid. Not of what he was, she loved that part of him. But, rather, what he could very well become.

Even if she didn’t show it, admitting to it was the toughest thing she had ever done. Losing the one she loved—that very prospect was what scared her the most, what brought her the first nightmares of this darker version of her husband. That was just the night prior.

Before she succumbed to sleep, she recalled an old talent show that she took part in, a play where three simple words labeled an entire population. She never thought those three words would come back to haunt her, but they were going to fuel yet another bad dream for tonight.

Fear. Treachery. Bloodlust.


	16. ...Before the Storm

Another Friday dawned on the city of Zootopia, and the last weekday morning commute was in full swing. Subways were packed, streets were crammed, and the sidewalks were insanely crowded, made worse as more mammals of all shapes, sizes, and species joined the fray. Charles wasn’t keen on the crowdedness of his usual walk to the downtown, or observing the blatant prejudice on other mammals’ mugs and body language as they passed him by, so he tried pushing his discomfort to the back of his mind. Being exhausted and on edge didn’t help with his situation. He attempted to focus his attention on other things, like the weather.

The weather was the usual spring mugginess, serving up a fresh batch of fog to give the city a creepy zombie movie vibe. Charles found himself surveying the area more than usual with the drape of mist around him. While Downtown and Sahara Square weren’t affected by it, Savannah Central and the lower elevated sections of the city were shrouded in mist. This left visibility in some areas as low as a mile. For Charles, he was currently in the section of the city where visibility ranged from three to five miles. Mammals viewing the fog from the comfort of other high-rise buildings in the city, or perhaps Zootopia One, the tallest skyscraper in Zootopia, were guaranteed yet another breathtaking view worthy of a photograph.

A chill ran down the tiger’s spine. The thought of the staggering height from the top floor left him breathless and cold. The feline quickly began to shake them away. His fears and demons were tempting to toy with him. Don’t let them. Breath. That’s what he was taught. Shut it out.

For what felt like the umpteinth time, Charles ditched that mindset and focused on something else, something that would make him happy. Something distracting to take his mind off of the laundry list of things he had to do.

Charles looked around and considered his whereabouts, eyeing a Snarlbucks to his left. That location severed as a landmark to the cat, letting him know that his commute to the _Gazette_ was halfway over. He found himself in the outskirts of Downtown Zootopia, where the buildings grew increasingly taller, standing proudly to dot the familiar city skyline. In the corner of his eye, the sun had finally peaked over the horizon and kissed the tops of a few buildings, threatening to blind him if he dared turn the other way. The orange glow slowly ate away at the fog while the feline strode up the street.

Over time, the mist became visibly lighter, Charles noticing as he rounded a corner and through a crosswalk for the final stretch of his trip. The sun was blinding him on his left side through the openings between the buildings, and he radiated with warmth each time. It felt good against his fur after such a lackluster winter. It nearly made him question the decision on wearing a blazer. But, he didn’t get to enjoy the sunlight for long.

Minutes later, Charles arrived at his building. He went through his morning routine—greeting the uncaring gazelle named Daryl sitting at the front desk, going into Jim Horkins for his cup of coffee, and stepping into another crowded elevator to go up to his floor. Thankfully, no one he knew was riding up with him, which eliminated any chance at conversation. Charles didn’t mind it, of course. He wasn’t much for small talk anyway. Every mammal around him kept their glances aimed at the doors. Some were daring enough to take second glances back at the tiger, only to have their gaze shoot back once the feline caught on. Charles smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He noticed that there was a clear divide between him and the mammals surrounding him. Who knew being a predator in a confined space surrounded by prey meant that mammals would be more than accommodating on the ride up?

Floor by floor, mammals shuffled out of the elevator with a newfound pep in their step, and soon Charles was riding the rest of the way alone up to the thirty-ninth floor. Another sip of coffee fueled his energy supply before the lift slowly came to a halt, opening to reveal the bold newstype font of the _Gazette_ logo hung on the wall. He scoffed at it and passed the sign with malice, entering the south side of the floor.

At first glance, apart from the three mammals sitting at their desks eating their breakfasts, the floor looked empty. This was usual, as most mammals tended to arrive at or after nine o’clock in the morning, which, after checking his watch to confirm it, was around thirty-two minutes from now. This was good for Charles. No nosey coworkers to question what he was about to do.

The feline set his coffee down on Edward’s desk and motioned past the kitchen and towards the copy center. He emptied one of the nearly depleted boxes of computer paper and carried it with the lid to Edward’s desk, where he began placing various items inside—old articles, flash drives, an iCarrot charging cable, various pens and pencils stolen from the copy center, some notepads, a photograph of him, Edward, and Sharla, and a couple of coffee mugs.

Charles held the picture in his paw for a moment and stared at the gleaming faces within the frame. The corners of his mouth raised in turn. He remembered this memory. It was the day Edward and Sharla moved to Zootopia, and they had offered him to come out and walk through Savannah Central Plaza. By Sharla’s request, Edward took a selfie of the three of them. Charles cherished that day greatly, a time when the three of them were excited to see what the future would hold for them. It was hard to believe that their arrival was just over three years ago. It seemed like yesterday. He was shocked Edward had gone and framed it.

Worried that he might have missed something, Charles scanned the desk once again, making doubly sure that he wasn’t leaving anything important behind. Going through the trouble of making himself or Anders pick up Edward’s miscellaneous items wouldn’t be something either of them would enjoy doing.

Charles placed the lid on top of the box and hoisted the container up to his chest. When the sharp clattering of dishes inside the box reached his ears, he quickly and carefully placed the box back down on the desk. He checked on the contents again, worried that he might have broken something, and gave a sigh of relief when he found everything intact.

 _I should probably wrap the mugs in a paper towel,_ the feline thought to himself, eyes rolling at his oversight. He grabbed his coffee and started down the aisle.

In the short time between him entering the building and him packing away Edward’s belongings, more mammals made their way into the office. Charles made sure to greet two of his coworkers he considered friends, both of whom gave tired and hesitant replies back to him. One mammal he passed, however, didn’t seem to share the sentiment if their scoff and turn of the head meant anything. Charles ignored them and continued down. They obviously weren’t worth his time.

The kitchen on their floor was like any other in a crowded office building. Outfitted with a freezer, two fridges, two sinks, four microwaves, a couple vending machines, and the coffee maker, it was built to handle an army. Their kitchen also included a few snack bins for packaged food, and a slushy machine to make sure that all new employees gained the _‘Gazette_ twenty’ in their first week, which everyone in the office was guilty of one way or another. With the room being the only other connector between the north and south sides in their building besides a narrow hallway near Horn’s office, it saw a ton of action. Luckily for Charles, he knew their facility staff kept the kitchen stocked full of everything imaginable inside the many cabinets around the room. Surely a single roll of paper towel wouldn’t be missed.

Charles took another sip of his coffee and savored the bitter taste. His mission was almost complete. As long as he didn’t get distracted, he would be in and out before lunch, and he would be ready to own up to his confession.

“...We should kick them out of Zootopia.”

That line made Charles stop dead in his tracks, just a couple feet away from the entrance to the kitchen, the place where he presumed the voice came from.

“If predators are going to turn savage anyway,” the voice continued, “then why don’t we just kick them out and protect the rest of the city? Why not just solve the problem now instead of putting everyone else at risk?”

 _Here we go,_ Charles rolled his eyes, _another prejudicial debate in the office. I bet he won’t even be considered for firing._

“You can’t just exile entire species of animals from Zootopia,” another voice contested, “it would cause nothing but chaos. Just imagine the repercussions of removing ten percent of the city’s population. Businesses would shut down. Major positions in the city government would be forced to resign. The tolls on the families would be intense. Almost all the ZPD and the ZFD would lose their jobs, which would mean an increase in crime, which would mean more mammals leaving the city—”

“You’re over exaggerating, Kyle,” came the other mammal’s doubt, “I’m sure it wouldn’t get that bad.”

“Who’s to say that it won’t?”

“Who’s to say that it will?”

“Look, Shawn,” the voice conceded, “I agree, I don’t like living in a city where these... savages... could turn any minute, but we just have to face the facts, there isn’t going to be a quick solution to this. Zootopia is the birthplace of coexistence. Kicking out predators would go against that ideal, and the public would cause an uproar about it. I was going to recommend trying to split predator and prey up like everyone did in the sixties, but I don’t think that would sit well with our government nowadays either.

“We could just control them using shock collars like they do in some prisons.”

“Maybe. It wouldn’t stir up the city too much, and it solves the problem fairly quickly. But, I think we just need to have faith. Mayor Bellwether will take care of these savages… somehow.”

It was then that Charles made his grand entrance. The voice who placed Charles amongst those affected by the Nighthowlers looked shocked, nearly ashamed if the long rabbit ears pinned to the back of his head meant anything. The other, a middle-aged sheep, looked proud, and confident. He glared at the tiger disdainfully. Charles smiled.

“Please,” the feline said, “don’t stop on my account. I found your topic interesting. You were talking about shock collars?”

“Yeah,” the sheep affirmed, “what of it?”

“Well, I think you should know that those collars you recommended, they don’t just regulate rage and aggression. They check _all_ emotions. Too much happiness, _zap._ Too much sadness, _zap._ Too much pain, _zap._ Too much love, guess what? _Zap_. Imagine trying to conceive under those conditions. You couldn’t get past trying for a baby let alone having one.”

“So?”

“I’m only saying that you would risk the advancement of entire species just because of this epidemic. The hyenas and coyotes are suffering enough as it is. Putting something like this into effect could finish them off for good in Zootopia. Would you feel right playing into the extinction of your fellow mammals?”

The sheep rolled his eyes. “You’re over exaggerating. Even if it does happen, there’ll be regulations to prevent something like that from happening.”

“What about the moral justification? We don’t know how mammals turn, and you’re condemning them to something that’ll control their lives? Why don’t we study it further rather than find some easy fix? Maybe then we wouldn’t have mammals going at each other’s throats. Or do you not care enough?”

“...Sorry,” the rabbit mumbled.

“Grow a spine, Kyle. Don’t let someone like him force ideals down your throat.”

“You’re one to talk,” Charles pointed out, plucking a roll of paper towels from one of the holders on the island. “He’s scared. Like everyone else in the city, he’s scared that he might get attacked, or be in the line of fire. He has every right to be. And you know what? I’m scared too.” This gained a sullen reaction from the buck. “I’m scared that I might turn and hurt someone I love. I’m scared for my friends. I'm scared for everyone around me. I’m scared for this city. Fear isn’t one-sided. It goes both ways. Don’t let someone like him tell you otherwise.”

“Excuse me?” the sheep sputtered.

“You’re excused,” Charles grinned, turning to leave.

“Damn _savage_.”

The feline shook his head and ignored the comment, continuing down the aisle towards Edward’s workstation, paper towel roll in paw.

Whether he liked it or not, the sheep’s prejudice got under his skin. It was similar to his experience back at the Snarlbucks near their office building, yet it felt different. Normally, he wouldn’t think much about bigots or their mean-spirited attitude. It wasn’t something he needed after living most of his life with prejudice against those who he loved thanks to his mother, so he did his best to avoid it as much as he could.

And life decided to throw him another curveball, just after beginning to recover from the last one. With the increase in attacks on predators in the city, and the prey population scared out of their wits that there isn’t any change happening, more and more mammals who believe in that age-old bigotry came out from the woodwork. What made this fact increasingly frightening was that others were starting to believe them. That’s what made this situation with his coworkers different. Charles wanted to believe that Kyle didn’t know any better, that the sheep had shoved his ideals down the rabbit’s throat, but he couldn’t tell. _Maybe_ his apology was genuine. _Maybe_ he didn’t have a single mean bone in his body. There was no way to tell for sure, and if Charles was being honest, he wasn’t keen on finding out.

What he did know was this: Protests were on the rise. Hate was spewing from the depths of Zootopia, dividing the city. Soon the damage might become irreparable. Knowing that he had the answer right in his paws, it was difficult to watch, difficult to endure.

All Charles had to do now was hope their small group could find whoever was behind the attacks. At least then the city could go back to some semblance of normality.

 _Speaking of which…_ the feline thought, pulling his phone out and dialing a number.

While the phone rang, he concluded his walk and began wrapping Edward’s more fragile belongings, holding the smartphone to the side of his head with his shoulder.

“Hello,” the voice on the other end finally picked up.

“Hey, Tommy,” Charles lightly spoke, “how’s my big ol’ sweetheart doing?”

“Awake and ready for duty.”

“You don’t sound like it. Did Wolford take you to get a cup of coffee yet?”

“We’re at Snarlbucks right now. I’d bring you one, but we’re with the precinct in Tundratown right now assisting with an investigation.”

“Sounds like a lot of fun. You freezing your tail off yet?”

“What do you need, hon?” his boyfriend dodged.

“Well, other than bugging you for a bit, I wanted to ask if I could get another peek at that report on the missing mammals again.”

Silence followed his question. A few seconds later, Thomas quietly spoke.

“I... can’t do that, Charlie.”

“What?” Charles said, closing the box and properly holding his phone. “Why not? The information is available to the public now, isn’t it?”

“It was going to be. But, as of today, the ZPD are treating it as an open case. There hasn’t been any leads on how predators are going savage, and more keep turning, so the chief reopened the case until a solution is found. Because it’s open—”

“You can’t tell the public anything about it.”

“Exactly. I’m sorry, hon. Under normal circumstances, I would give you the report in a heartbeat, but right now I can’t. The chief is already super stressed as it is, and if I go against a direct order, you can imagine how he would react.”

“I hear you,” the reporter sighed, nodding his head.

Charles only spoke with the cape buffalo known as Chief Adrian Bogo once in his life. The two met the night Charles was detained on one of the station platforms in the Rainforest District, when he reached his mental low. Instead of seeing a cell that night, the feline was whisked away with the help of Thomas Fangmeyer—which also turned out to be the first time both felines were formally introduced—to the head office of Precinct One. Upon arrival, Charles was met with the scruffy chief of police. At first glance, he understood that the chief was no-nonsense. The tiger recalled that the deep British tone in his voice nearly mimicked his own Mammalian one, and he was incredibly fit.

That night, after offering Charles a cup of coffee, the chief explained to him that he wanted to help him ‘get better.’ He didn’t ask why Charles did what he did. He didn’t treat the conversation like an interrogation, it felt personal, heartwarming in a way. It wasn’t demanding, the talk feeling more like a plan of attack for the future. He didn’t push the subject past that, but he did push Charles to seek further help for his condition. ‘He would be there for him,’ Adrian told him, and that ‘he would help in any way he could.’ And he was. Bogo set the future reporter up with a psychiatrist in Savannah Central, Doctor Melanie Snoutworth, and put him on the path to recovery. Without a ride, Fangmeyer agreed on a direct order to take him to his first sessions, eventually blossoming into something more.

Charles would like to imagine sometimes that the chief planned it out that way, knowing that the two of them would get together. In reality, it all came down to blind luck. The kind of luck that somehow played out in the feline’s favor.

“That Cape buffalo should really take a day off for himself.”

“Tell me about it. We’ve been trying to tell him that for years. It’s like he buries himself in the job.” A pause. “Listen, I hate leaving like this, but I’ve got to get going. Wolford’s probably trying to guess my drink right now, and I’d rather not get espresso like last time. If you do manage to find something related to the case, let us know. I might be able to get in good with the chief if you do.”

“I’ll be sure to tell you if I find anything.”

“Thanks, babe.”

“No problem, Tommy.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Bye! Love you!”

“Love you too, hon.”

The call disconnected. Charles leaned against the desk and blankly looked at his phone. Anger was beginning to well up.

 _We just lost our most crucial source material,_ the tiger rehashed. _Great. Just perfect._

Before he had the chance to fully stoop in his annoyance, roars of laughter could be quietly heard bouncing off the walls. What made it strange was that it came in the direction of Horn’s office, which was now in clear view. As it ended, a pair of smiling sheep walked out of the door, Horn herself stepping outside of the office to see them off before closing it behind them.

 _Now that she’s free, I can finish up here,_ he thought, looking around. _I hate being in this building._

In less than twenty seconds, he was out from Edward’s empty desk, down the aisle, and opening the door to Danielle’s office. The gazelle didn’t appear to acknowledge his presence. Her eyes were glued to the paperwork on her desk and whatever was on the screen of her computer monitor. He immediately saw through her scare tactics. When he shut the door, the flick of her ears gave that guise away. No turning back now.

The reporter walked straight up to the desk, placing his smartphone screen-side up in front of the paperwork she was looking at.

With a pause, she glanced over at the phone, seeing its unlocked screen and the application it showed.

“What is this?” she asked.

“It’s the recording.” When Horn’s expression remained unchanged, he explained. “I’m letting you delete it.”

Upon uttering those words, Charles intently watched his boss, hoping to gauge some sort of reaction from her.

This part of the plan was more or less a crapshoot. The recording on his phone didn’t mean a thing now that one of the attacks was so close to the building. Charles knew that. He suspected that Danielle knew that too, but he needed to know for sure. So, he came up with a test to prove it, using the recording as bait. If Horn deleted the recording, it would prove she was still openly worried about others finding out about her motives. If she didn’t delete it, then that would prove it wasn’t necessary.

Danielle stared at the device for a couple of seconds, looking blandly at the recording. Her hoof slowly went towards the phone, stopping just above the screen. Charles tensed up.

She grasped the phone without picking it up, pushed the power button on the side, and went back to her paperwork.

“I sincerely hope that wasn’t all you wished to talk about. My schedule is booked from now until the end of the day. If you were planning on wasting anymore of my time, I suggest you start packing your things.”

Charles held back the grin that nearly showed on his face and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “Actually, there was something else that I needed to discuss with you going forward. I’ll make it short and sweet so you can get on with your day.”

She set down the paper in her grasp and cupped her hooves together. “I’m listening.”

“I know you don’t like the idea of having predators in the office because of the incident with Kristy. You don’t want to have another. I’m proposing that I would be able to work entirely mobile, and send in my work via email so that I don’t ever have to step foot in this office—”

“Granted,” she quickly agreed, cutting him off.

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Well, get on with it then, Charles.”

“It’s about Edward,” he mumbled, checking behind him. A couple mammals passed by the room.

“Pensive are we?” she noticed. “What about him?”

The tiger leaned in on the desk towards Danielle, now in a hushed tone.

“I need you to promise me that you’ll put in a good word for him, and recommend him to any job he gets outside of this company. Moreover, I also need your word that you won’t reveal his marriage. He’s agreed to walk away from the company willingly, and I think he deserves the right to come out on his own terms rather than being slandered.”

“You talk as if I hate the mammal.”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been kind to him. You shut him down on everything he’s done for the _Gazette_ in the past year, essentially fired him after his mother’s death, and threatened to put his marriage in the spotlight and defame him in the midst of the city’s current chaos. Would you like more, or would you like to look past the last five days?”

The gazelle calmly got up from her seat, without making eye contact, and waltzed over to the coffee and tea station along the wall. She popped in one of the single-serve packages into the coffee maker and placed a mug under the spout, the machine whirring to life.

“I never said that I hated his work, Charles, let’s get that straight,” she admitted with her back turned. “In actuality, he was one of the better writers on the floor, if not the best. Sure, he isn’t a ‘Lemmingway’ by any means, but he certainly has a talent for pouring his soul onto the page. Based on what he’s given me, I’d assume he’s been stressed, pensive, and shattered. It reflects badly on the page. When predators began going savage, I had to analyze the situation. Putting Snow on the spot was merely another judgment call I had to make. As I said before, I’m not scared. At least, in a personal sense.”

The machine clanked and clunked, then finally went quiet, and Horn began preparing the cup for consumption.

“Look through the blinds for me, if you could. Humor me, please.”

Charles did as he was told without question, pulling down on one of the thin plastic blinds with his claw, revealing the entirety of the floor.

“What do you see?”

Unsure of the point, he answered, “I see… the office space. The rows of desks. Mammals coming in for work…”

“You know what I see?” she asked rhetorically, now standing next to him with her coffee in hoof, looking through the blinds herself. “I see liabilities. Those mammals, working on the floor, doing their jobs? They’re defenseless. If such an attack occurs on this floor, they are the first in the line of fire. They are my employees, Charles. I can’t imagine what would have happened if Kristy had turned inside the building. A handful of resignations, a couple lawsuits and injuries on the side, and a company in chaos.” She snapped the blades of the metal she was looking through shut, motioning towards her desk. “You see, the savagery itself isn’t what scares me. It is the ramifications of it that follows after such a event that frighten me the most. Understand that I don’t specifically hate predators. Think of it as taking precautions to prevent something drastic in the workplace.”

“Have other predators in the office received the same deal as I have?”

Horn stopped and leaned against the back of her desk. “For those who actually do fieldwork and write, yes.”

“And those who don’t?”

The rise of the corner of Horn’s mouth was more than enough to answer his question. She made her way back to her office chair, the furniture yelling its dissatisfaction with a loud creak. “Edward will have my word that he can look to me for a recommendation, or a reference if need be. And since he walked away instead of giving me another lackluster story, I’ll give him the added benefit of not revealing his little secret.”

Charles sighed. “Thank you.”

With his task complete, and his will to remain in the office completely drained, he started towards the door, giving the handle a turn.

“It must be difficult for her,” Danielle spoke without looking up, grabbing the reporter’s attention. “Knowing that the one she loves, or even her friends, could turn any minute. I wonder how she’s holding up?”

Whether slamming the door upon exit was a good idea or not, Charles couldn’t have cared less.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Edward was sat at the foot of the bed in his pajamas, still somewhat groggy from his early wake-up call. He felt awful. Physically speaking, he felt fine.  In a mental sense, however, he was far from okay. His aimless gaze was still processing what his wife had told him a few seconds prior. He never expected anything like this.

 _“Edward,”_ she had said to him, _“when I told you that I could never be afraid of you, know that I meant every word of it. I love you with all my heart, and there’s no changing that, regardless of what happens. But, I think we should… or rather_ need _to discuss this now before we don’t have that chance. I’m scared, Eddy. I’m scared of losing you, and what you might become. I know you're one of the kindest, sweetest mammals on the planet, and I know you don’t want me to get hurt either. That’s why I’m thinking we should come up with some form of plan if things do go south.”_

The wolf was struggling to think up a proper response. Maintaining a clear head was becoming increasingly difficult for him these last few days. He felt it best to break down her idea to get a better picture.

On one end of the spectrum, he was hurting. Her words were like daggers whether she meant for it or not. The thought of his own fears realized, and those fears being shared by his wife, fueled the melancholic cloud looming over his head. It was clear she was looking at him differently. Did Sharla see him as some sort of monster?

The other end of the spectrum, rather than sweeping the thought away as hearsay, understood where she was coming from. She didn’t have the knowledge he had about Nighthowlers being the source of the recent attacks, and he recognized that. To her, Edward becoming savage was a real possibility, a threat, and instead of ignoring the issue, her idea of tackling it and creating safeguards against it was her idea of saving their marriage and solving the problem at the same time.

Part of him wanted to fight the idea outright. He wanted to ensure her everything would be okay and that there was no way he could turn.

But he couldn’t. Cursed with the knowledge of what was really going on meant that she couldn’t know. No matter what, he had to maintain the lie. Bringing her into the loop meant putting her at risk. There was no way he would do that to her, which meant he would have to let her idea run its course.

Edward was still in a seriously disheartening position. Even with the knowledge, it felt morally wrong. It was wrong. No one should have to be subjugated to this fate, both living in fear and feared for who you are. It wasn’t right.

The wolf shook his head and dispelled the mental debate. Fighting with himself wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

“What did you have in mind?” Edward finally asked, forcing the corners of his mouth into a half-smile. “Something like pepper spray and a taser, or more along the lines of physical self-defense?”

“...Something like that,” the ewe hesitatingly mumbled, which confused the wolf for a moment. Was she expecting a fight, or some defiance? “We don’t have to go into specifics right now, I just thought I’d throw it out there.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s important to you. If our roles were switched, I’d feel the same way. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.” The wolf jumped off of the bed and motioned to his wife, taking a paw into her hoof. “We can visit one of those home security stores later today if you want. That way we can get the easy stuff out of the way.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I want you to be safe, hon. If having these things makes you feel protected around me, then I think it’s a no-brainer. I’m all for it—”

Before he could finish, the phone in his pocket began to ring, cutting him off a few words early. Edward pulled the phone out and saw Charles's name and picture on the screen.

“It’s Charlie,” he said, leaning down to kiss the side of the ewe’s face. “He’s probably got my stuff by now.” Edward tapped the green button and brought the phone up to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hey Ed,” his friend replied. “I’ve got your things. I’m heading to Savannah Central right now, so I should be there in about forty-five minutes.”

“Forty-five minutes,” he inquiringly repeated, the ewe in turn lifting herself off of the couch and to their dresser. “Sounds good. We’ll make sure to be there.”

“I’ll see you then, Ed.”

“See you later.”

Getting ready after the call felt surprisingly more awkward than normal. Neither husband nor wife  spoke past the occasional question, and maintained their silence up until the point of departure twenty-five minutes later. It was tense, embarrassing even. Edward felt that they shouldn’t let the issue divide them. So, he offered her something that they hadn’t worn out in public since their wedding: their gold rings.

When Edward handed Sharla her ring, she was rightfully puzzled. Refusing to wear them was something they’d both agreed to even before their proposal. With views of interspecies couples still as bad as they were, and now with the whole situation of savage predators, they felt it wise not to add more stress to their lives, and stave off Edward’s insecurities.

With Edward losing his job, and the state of the city pushing down on him, to him it didn’t matter anymore. Horn was going to reveal their relationship to the readers of the _Gazette_ and put them in the limelight anyway. Why hide it?

The gesture felt right. It was something both Edward and Sharla needed. They needed to be strong. Even if what Sharla was doing wasn’t morally sound in its entirety, it was important for her to feel safe.

They could get through this. They just needed to hold on.

When he saw the smile light up on her face, even if it was just a small half smile, it warmed his heart. She took the ring and wore it proudly on her middle hoof, relishing in its golden splendor. Edward put his own ring on and gave her a peck on the lips in turn, another longer kiss following.

With both sheep and wolf ready to depart, they made it out of their apartment complex and down the street toward Savannah Central. Their walk was quiet and uneventful, edging on boring at times. It didn’t help that every time Edward looked down to Sharla he saw this aimless stare that could only be described as otherworldly. He’d never seen her so lost. Was this how he looked the past week? She seemed so melancholic, so lost. It was very much unlike her.

Edward instinctively reached for her hoof with his paw, the ewe reactively jumping when they entwined. She looked up to the wolf, who was trying to form some caring words in his head. Admittedly, she was better at this than he was. Before he had the chance, she got close to him, wrapping her hooves around his arm as she cuddled it tight. After kissing the top of her head, Edward retained his focus, the two of them strolling down the sidewalk together side by side, passing by street after street, and eventually reached the morning crowds.

The more they passed the random hecklers showing some sort of displeasure with the act of affection and other mammals who looked at them differently, the more Edward realized something surprising: he didn’t care. After years of worrying, suddenly it didn’t matter what they thought of them. That fact was what fueled the grin on his muzzle. Edward revelled in the moment.

Although, his confidence didn’t last long. The moment they stepped foot near the district’s center just outside of the park, he felt his anxiety start creeping in. Instead of letting it fester like he normally would, he decided to take it in stride as they made their way through the park, ignoring the growing number of protesters near the Natural History Museum.

Sharla spotted a bench off in the distance, the seating located under a tree in a secluded spot near the police station. It seemed like a good place to hunker down and wait for Charles. It was safe, and if they got into any trouble they could walk straight to the ZPD and file a complaint.

The married couple sat down together,  Edward’s arm over his wife’s shoulders. It was like their university days all over again.

Edward went ahead and texted their location to the feline, thinking it would make it easier to find each other in the crowds of Savannah Central. It was similar to trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The wolf and ewe waited patiently for their friend, eyeing the many mammals that were traversing the paths, resting on the grass, and circling the outskirts of the park. The day itself was beautiful. Take away the protesters and Edward might’ve called the setting peaceful.

 _The protesters are on the other side of the park,_ Edward observed, letting out a calming breath from his nostrils. _We won’t be bothered here._

At least, that's what he hoped, until someone tapped him on the shoulder.

The lupine tensed up. Anxiety slowly crept over his shoulder like a shadow. He prepared for the worst, turning his body to meet whoever was behind the bench.

He looked at the mammal, sighed, then smiled.

“Hey, Charles,” Edward greeted the feline, seeing the box tucked under his arm.

“Hi Charlie,” Sharla followed.

“Hey guys,” the tiger greeted, setting the box down in the empty spot next to Sharla. “Might I say that you two are looking exceptionally adorable today. What’s the occasion?”

“We thought that we shouldn’t care what mammals think. With everything going on—Horn, the attacks, our story—doing what’s best for us is top priority. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Edward’s confident? And he’s open? You’ve got to be pulling my leg. This had to be your idea, Sharla.”

“Nope,” she shook her head, “this was completely Edward’s idea.”

Charles looked at the lupine, flabbergasted. “Who are you, and what have you done to the real Edward?”

The three friends shared a laugh, gaining the attention of a few mammals. Edward was the only one who seemed to notice.

“Mind if I steal your wolf for a minute or two, Shar?” Charles eventually asked. “I’ve got to talk with him about story details.”

“Sure,” she said, “but don’t run off and marry him. I don’t think his heart could handle another marriage.”

“No promises!”

Charles took Edward and their conversation a number of feet away from the bench near a tree. Sharla wasn’t the type to eavesdrop on a sensitive conversation, but for the Nighthowler attacks, an extra layer of caution couldn’t hurt.

“Anders is looking into the shops around the city,” the feline hushly revealed. “He told me he started working on the contact sheet again at around five in the morning. At least, that’s what the document says.”

“Did he get any sleep last night?

“Personally, no. We stopped working around the same time you left. He probably got home at around three-thirty. But, given that he texted me instead of calling me like he normally does, I don’t think he slept at all last night.”

“That’s crazy. Poor guy.”

“Tell me about it. The fact that he’s willing and able to stay up like that, it means a lot. I don’t think we’d be able to solve this without him.

“We couldn’t. His information-gathering skills are the best. I bet he’s on his third cup of coffee right now.”

“I’d wager he’s on his fourth. But,” Charles shook his head, getting back on topic, “that aside, here’s where we’re at. Right now, he’s starting work on contacting stores and getting what information he can. After I’m done here, I’m going to try and visit some of the locations personally to take some of the load off of Andy. I was thinking we could work together on this one. You’re way better at interviews than me.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” the silver wolf muttered, his paw brushing the back of his neck. He could feel his ears begin to fall. “Sharla and I’ve got something to do once I drop off my things.”

“Oh. Well, text me when you’re free and we can meet up.”

“Sure,” Edward nodded. “Is there anything else that’s come up since last night?”

“Actually, yes,” the tiger grimaced. “The report for the Missing Mammals case is open again.”

“What? I thought it was going to be public info?”

“That’s what I thought, too. But, they didn’t figure out the solution to how the predators are going savage, so we can’t use it as a proper source in our findings unless we want Tommy to get in trouble, or worse, lose his job.”

“Biscuits… How are we supposed to write the report without that source? Do we just run it like that anyway?”

“I’m not sure. We didn’t sign any non-disclosure agreement, so we won’t get in trouble ourselves, but I don’t want to get Tommy in trouble either. If the information is going to the ZPD alone, then I think all parties should be fine as long as we show our compliance, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Well, we’ve got plenty of time now that we don’t have Horn to worry about.”

For a moment, Charles went wide-eyed, then he turned away from the wolf, his orange ears pinned back. Edward couldn’t help but notice.

“What’s wrong?”

Charles stood in place silently, opening and shutting his maw repeatedly before he finally spoke. “Earlier today, I spoke with Horn.”

“And?”

“Well, I asked about the state of your job, and... I made a deal with her.”

There was a slight pause. “A deal?”

“Yes. I thought that she treated you unfairly, so I took a chance and reasoned with her. She promised to put in a good word in to wherever you decide to go next. Whether it be at ZNN, the Zootopian Times, or the Post, she’ll vouch for you. I even got her to not tell anyone—”

“Wait. You said… _my_ job. Didn’t you?”

Another wayward glance.

“Charlie, what’s going on?”

The tiger sighed.

“Remember when we were brought in the first time?”

Edward nodded.

“Well, before that, she pulled me into her office for a separate meeting. She told me about the story, and how I would be assisting you with it. What she didn’t tell me… was about how the security of your job was at stake. I found out when you did. When I questioned her about it, she told me about how she was trying to save her company. It was all she cared about. I tried to blackmail her—”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?

“I—”

“You should have told me,” the wolf said, his voice raising in volume. “We’re best friends, Charles! You can’t just keep that kind of secret from me! I had every right to know!”

“Edward, trust me, I wanted to tell you. You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to. Keeping this from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But…”

“But what?”

“I couldn’t.”

The lupine was appalled. He nearly screamed, “Why not?!”

“If I told you, she would have fired me on the spot.”

“You’re joking!” Edward crossed his arms and shook his head. “So, let me get this straight. You mean to tell me that you egged me on and forced me to quit my job for a story that I put my all into, just so you could keep your job security?”

“I know it looks bad, Ed, but please try to understand—”

“No, you understand,” the wolf growled, now on the brink of tears, “I trusted you. I thought that we could get through this, together. I thought that we could solve this, become heros, and maybe… maybe then I could…”

“Could what?”

“Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” Edward flippantly waved his paw. “I guess I should just get used to losing everything, shouldn’t I? I’m so pathetic. So… weak. The moment something goes right…”

“Ed, don’t think like that.”

The wolf didn’t even let the feline finish before he was off. In a teary haze, Edward started back down the way he and Sharla came in at a brisk walk, uncaring about the mammals passing him by with confused, curious stares.

Sharla rushed over to the tiger’s side, the two of them watching Edward’s body disappear further into the distance.

“What’s going on?” she asked, wondering what the commotion was all about. “Charlie, what happened?”

All Charles could muster was a depressed shrug.

“I messed up, Shar. I messed up bad.” He let out a sigh. “I’ll take Ed’s stuff back home with me and drop it off later when things have calmed down. I’ve still got my key.”

She hesitated.

“Go. Be with your hubby. He needs you. I can take care of myself.”

With that, she ran after Edward, leaving the tiger alone to stoop in his misery. He knew something like this would happen. He counted on it. However, no matter how much he prepared for his friend’s reaction to the news, it didn’t stave away the pain. He felt so heavy…

Charles shook his head and attempted to recollect his thoughts. Right now, he didn’t have time to sulk. Although he wanted his day to be over, he wasn’t finished yet, and based on what they still had in line for their investigation, there was still much to be done.

He took the box from the park bench, looked back at the protesters across the park with a sigh, and forced himself toward his apartment.

Once he was away from the heart of the city, the feline pulled out his phone and dialed Anders’s number. He picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“I’m ready for the first hit. What’s the location?”

“Oh, uh… 1350 South Antler Street. I’ll text it to you in a minute.”

“Spectacular. You’re a miracle worker, Anders.”

“I aim to please.”

“I’ll go there when I drop off something at my place.”

“Sure thing,” Anders said hesitantly. “Are you alright, Charles? You sound like a million days of bad road.”

“A long night will do that to you. You don’t sound too good yourself. But yeah,” Charles frowned. “Never been better.”

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Standing in front of the wide pane of glass, Dawn observed the sunset that painted the partly cloudy sky over the city of Zootopia, the gleam of the sun nearly blinding her as it bounced off of the buildings. To some it could be considered a beautiful setting, but she couldn’t possibly relish the thought.

Before she was mayor, to the city, she was just another mammal in the crowd. Another sheep straight out of law school looking to make a difference in a city where prey mammals were treated like they were underappreciated and underestimated. Like most mammals, she grew up believing in the mantra “anyone can be anything.” She wanted to be more. She wanted to help mammals, help the city. Instead, she found herself struggling to make ends meet, ending up as running mate to a lion who treated her like everyone else.

Lionheart used her. He used her to sway the sheep population into voting for him, and when he finally made it into office, he bossed and pushed her around like she was nothing. Unless you were strong and loud, what voice did you have? Who could blame Dawn for taking action when she finally had enough? He didn’t deserve that job, and she wasn’t going to sit around taking the brunt of his shit.

So she contacted one of her old friends in the Meadowlands, and they devised a plot to take the job right out from under him, and on top of that, bring all predators down to where they rightfully belonged.

Thanks to Judy Hopps, Dawn was one step further to making that dream a reality. Lionheart was in jail,  predators were feared, and she was mayor now. Mayor Dawn Bellwether. It had a nice ring to it.

A faint buzzing sound brought the ewe back down to reality. She went over to her desk, impulsively adjusted her glasses, and pulled out the disposable phone sitting in one of the drawers. It buzzed in her hoof as she glanced at the caller ID, then brought it up to her ear when she confirmed who it was. She was annoyed.

“I thought I told you not to call me unless it was an emergency, Doug.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. After Woolter told me how you grilled him for calling you during work hours, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“That was different.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Then why are you calling me right now? This better be important.”

“It is,” he assured. “We’ve got a problem, Dawn. Someone’s onto us.”

The ewe went bug-eyed. “Mutton chops.”

 


	17. The Right and Wrong

Green irises carefully scanned the aging gold numbers on the top of the doorframe. Thirteen-Fifty, South Antler Street. This was the first hit on their list.

Charles glanced toward the building. The windows felt ancient, dirt and grime lining their edges. Someone had tried cleaning them recently. Paint was peeling off of the walls while cracks had begun to show in the mortar between the dark red bricks. After many decades of harsh weather, it was to be expected. The ground wasn’t much better. Even the sidewalks were filthy and cracked, disregarded as much as the mammals who walked them everyday of the week. Past remnants of graffiti were clear as day, marked up by a slightly darker shade of red that tried desperately to match the brick. Even the area smelt a touch on the foul side, almost as if he were standing near a garbage dump.

It was clear that this part of the city had been left forgotten. Considering the location, it wasn’t hard to believe.

Happytown. More specifically, Charles was at the edge of what could be considered an “unofficial district,” seen as such only to the mammals who didn’t inhabit it.

Happytown was considered by many a historically bad area, sometimes labeled as the slums, the poorest part of the city to most mammals. Built to house most of the predators in the city when the nation was navigating through predator rights, cheap housing, deplorable living conditions, and a stellar crime rate made it unsavory to most mammals. No one dared to visit, and those who did were either living there themselves, or asking for trouble. And with the low level of police presence, help wasn’t to be expected if things got dire.

The feline felt nervous. He didn’t like being in this part of the town. Being here in broad daylight helped, but it didn’t ease him enough to let his guard down.

His old boyfriend came from Happytown. If he recalled correctly, the old apartment they shared together was a block down past Antler. His ex’s friends still lived there. After all this time, would they still know who Charles was? Were they waiting for the opportunity to come find him? One thing was certain: he wasn’t keen on finding out.

 _I wish Edward was here,_ the tiger thought to himself.

In addition to being one of his best friends and the best at helping lift Charles’s spirits, between the two of them, Edward was the best at interviewing by a mile. If they didn’t have that fallout, surely he would be here helping. How long would it take for him to come around?

 _Months,_ Charles pondered. _Years?_

A sigh bellowed from his nostrils. Between the two, he hoped for the former.

Charles looked briefly at the old sign above the gold numbers that read _Valentino’s Violets and Vanities_ before checking over both his shoulders, and finally trotted inside.

Upon entering the store, the fresh natural aromas of flowers and soil flooded his senses. It felt like he was hit with the entirety of Bunnyburrow square to the face. The potted and bundled flora around him were bright and colorful, arranged in various styles that drew his eye. Located in the far right corner were empty decorative and glass vases, bags of soil, and basic gardening equipment to help the uninitiated into the basics of plant care.

The store was relatively small compared to someone like Charles. It was meant for mammals like Sharla or even Edward considering his stunted growth, not someone like the feline, who clocked in at around six and a quarter feet tall—

“Welcome to _Valentino's_!”

Charles didn’t get more than two steps in before his guard intensified.

He was spotted by a thin, dark-furred reynard standing before a half complete shelf. They wore a flora-green apron, fitted tan slacks, and a baby blue t-shirt with a low neckline. Their smile was faint at first, but as they stared him down with their cinnamon-colored irises, their grin widened.

“Let me finish up here and I’ll be right with you.”

Their voice was nice and light, almost as if the fox was walking on air. They handled the flowers in front of them with precision and care, the finished product masterful in its appeal. It looked beautiful.

The reynard smiled at their work and brushed their paws clean, flinging dirt every which way. The sign in front of the shelf lay face down next to the freshly potted plant.

The canid strutted over towards the feline, their graceful movement almost distracting to the tiger, even with his gaze trained on them. Eventually they took their place in front of the counter, tail swishing happily from side to side.

“My name’s Bailey,” they smiled. “What can I help you with today?”

“Hi, Bailey,” he spoke with hesitation. “My name’s Charles. I believe you received a call from my colleague Anders about helping us with something?  If you don’t mind, of course.”

“Not at all, Charles. Business hasn’t exactly been booming as of late, so you can take all the time you need.”

Their charcoal and white-colored tail flicked slowly back and forth. Thin sapphires stared him down with a smile, the fox resting their head on their paw. They weren’t hiding the fact that they were checking him out.

“Well,” Charles cleared his throat, “I guess we should start with the basics.” He pulled out a small notebook and the pen stuffed in the metal rings, opening to a fresh page. “What did Anders tell you about what we’re looking for?”

They stared at the items in his paws curiously, and answered, “From what I understand, your friend told me that you needed help finding some farming equipment. He said it was for a friend who bought a plot of land.”

“Yes, exactly,” the feline caught on. “My friend bought a farm back in the Burrows because he thought one-upping his old man was a good idea. His birthday is coming up, so I want to make sure that he has everything he needs.”

They sighed and looked around the store.

“In terms of the necessities, what we have here is limited. You could’ve probably guessed that there isn’t much farmland in the city.”

“No way,” Charles laughed, “and here I thought every place was like the Burrows.”

“Well, I got some bad news for you, pal.” Bailey laughed back. “You’re in the big city. Mammals here normally come for bouquets, corsages, edible floral arrangements, and houseplants. Not farming equipment. Although, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have anything.” The fox waved the tiger on. “Follow me.”

The reynard stepped out from the counter and led Charles to the far end of the store, taking him to a section seemingly dedicated to those just starting their trek into floristry.

“Take a look at some of the equipment on the back shelves over here,” they pointed out, “that would be your best bet.”

Charles nodded, observing the store’s wares. He tried to make it painfully obvious that he couldn't find whatever he was looking for. Luckily, the fox was able to catch the bait.

“If you’re having trouble finding anything, I might be able to get someone from one of the other stores in Savannah Central to help. A couple of my friends run some stores down there.”

“I’m almost positive he has the basics,” Charles played off as uncertain. “There’s just getting the little things and making sure he can maintain his crops.”

“Your friend seems to know what he’s doing.”

“Knows a lot more than me, that’s for sure. He’s dead set on it. Even went to college for it.”

“Is there anything specific you need help finding?”

He paused, thinking, then played his request out. “Do you have any… sorry. He told me about this thing one time and that he really wanted some for his first season. What’s it called? I know it’s not a tool. I think it might be a flower.”

“Can you describe it?”

“It’s… purple. Yeah! It was purple, with yellow in the middle. It’s used to keep bugs off of produce—”

“You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Midnicampum Holicithias, would you?”

“I think that’s the one. Why? Is something wrong?”

The fox slumped their shoulders. They peered around the store, noticeably glancing at the near-empty shelf they were working on prior. Suspicious vibes were felt in the air.

“Wait right here,” she finally mumbled. “Let me see if I have any in the back.”

Charles followed the fox back towards the front registers, then did what he was told and waited at the counter. They pushed through the opaque PVC curtain and disappeared into the back room. He quickly noted in his notebook the minimal amount of the flower they had.

When the fox turned the corner, through the openings of the plastic panels, Charles couldn’t help but notice something familiar hanging along the wall. Something his eyes were naturally drawn to.

Normally, he wouldn’t pay any mind to pointless knick-knacks and decorations. It wasn’t his business, nor his job. He wasn’t that kind of reporter. It wasn’t necessary. Decorations had nothing to do with the story, nor the Nighthowlers. They were personal items. In fact, it would probably get him into more trouble than he already was, and would make him seem biased in some way.

But, as it turned out, these decorations were something that he couldn’t take his eyes off of once he spotted them. After all, they were a big part of his life, even if one of them didn’t impact him as directly as he suspected it did Bailey. They were integral to them.

The decoration in question was a pair of flags that hung along the back wall. On the left was a striped flag resembling all the colors of the rainbow, and the other one on the right was a flag with stripes of blue, pink, and white.

Charles smiled. Although he associated more with the flag on the left, the flag on the right reminded him of Thomas. The moment he came out to him, he was awkward, funny, and cute as a button. He was so worried about what Charles would think of him, especially when it came time for their first foray together. They had nothing to worry about. It was lovely and magical all the same, like any flourishing relationship should be.

Maybe he shouldn’t be lying to the fox, just in case he actually wanted to be friends later on. They seemed really… nice, for lack of a better word.

Not too long after they left, Bailey waltzed back towards the registers, causing a blush to creep onto Charles’s cheeks and ears.

“I couldn’t find any Midnicampum bulbs... in the back.”

They watched the tiger, who unintentionally still lingered his gaze on the two flags hung up in the back room. Once they realized where his gaze was focused at, their expression sullened, and their eyes followed their tail and ears down to the floor.

“Someone broke into the store a couple weeks ago and stole whatever we had left of them,” they spoke in a low tone. “The cops never found who did it. Figures, you know?”

“That’s awful,” Charles spoke, attention now on the reynard.

“It is, isn’t it? Would you be surprised that it isn’t the first time?”

“It isn’t?”

Their look hardened, then they turned their back to the tiger, head turned to the right so their ear was still facing Charles. Their words weren’t like venom, but calm. They demanded his attention.

“Take a look in front of me and look at where we are. Did you expect sunshine and rainbows in a place like this? That’s fantasy. If you thought being a fox was hard, try being in my shoes for a day. Not only do I have to deal with mammals constantly thinking that I’m sly, sneaky, or up to no good, I've got others who keep stealing from me and the shop—and yeah, before you ask, my apartment is a shithole, too. And to top it all off, I have to deal with the ignorance of mammals who wish to berate me just for being me.”

“I can imagine how hard it must be for you.”

“Can you?” Bailey said doubtfully, turning back around to face the feline.

“Yes, actually,” Charles nodded. “Apart from my miserable childhood and how I was brought up, my boyfriend was… well, _is_ in the same boat. He told me it took a while for his work to accept him, but his boss assured him that he would be safe, and that any discrimination of any kind should be brought to him directly. Though, it doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t get any.”

They scoffed, attempting to hide their true feelings with a forced smile. “He’s lucky to have someone like that. My boss barely puts up with me, and he’s my father.”

Charles’s eyes widened a bit. “I’m sorry,” he said, not knowing what else to say.

“It’s alright,” the reynard shrugged. “There’s nothing anyone can do about it anyways.”

“Why not just work somewhere else?”

“You think someone is going to hire a fox willingly, especially with what’s going on in the city?”

Bailey sighed.

“I wanted to work here all my life. When I was ten, my dad told me I was a natural at being a florist. Told me that he was proud. I decided then that I wanted to help my family, to help support them in any way that I could. Then I came out.

“To be honest, they aren’t that bad, trust me. For them, it’s difficult to understand how I feel, because they’ve never felt… different before. I know they still love me. They tell me every day, especially my mom. Unlike my stubborn dad, at least she’s understanding… I wish others could understand so the shop didn’t have to suffer.”

A light bulb flickered in the feline’s head.

“Maybe… I can help with that,” Charles thought aloud.

Bailey raised a brow. “How so?”

“My boyfriend works at the ZPD. I’m sure that once he’s done working his case, he wouldn’t mind coming down here with me to hang out. Maybe we could do other things too while we’re out… shit.” He instantly regretted uttering that out loud, seeing the growing grin on the reynard’s muzzle. “Please don’t take that the wrong way. I didn’t mean that to sound that bad.”

“Now why would I take that the wrong way?” Bailey spoke lustily. They grinned, climbing onto the counter and strutting towards the cat, getting ever so closer with every syllable. “Afraid this little, conniving, sly fox…” Their finger slowly glided along his button-up and ended up pulling Charles close by the blazer. The tiger tried leaning back as much as he could as crimson flooded his face and ears. “...is gonna swindle your heart away?”

Charles didn’t know what to do. Bailey’s muzzle was mere inches away from his. One false move, and they’d be locked into a kiss. He couldn’t come up with a joke for this situation to save his life. Charles gulped.

Before he knew it, the fox erupted into a laughing frenzy, letting go of the feline’s blazer.

“So nervous! I thought someone like you would be the curious type,” they said, climbing back down from the counter. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dream of crossing a police officer, let alone steal his boyfriend. My foxy self would be eaten alive.”

They paused while Charles finally began breathing again. Bailey considered the offer for a moment, until finally nodding.

“I’ll gladly take you up on that, Charles, and doing ‘other things,’ whatever that might mean for you.”

“G-great,” Charles smiled with a stutter, pulling out his phone. “What should I tell him?”

The fox smiled. “That I’d appreciate any help we can get. And tell him that Bailey sends her regards.”

“Will do.”

Within minutes, the tiger got a reply from his boyfriend. The three of them shared contact information, Charles and his boyfriend agreeing to stop by to check up on the fox as soon as they could.

Other than the agreement, another lustful advancement, a small correction of labeling the seed of Midnicampum as a bulb, and no new information about Nighthowlers further than what they already knew, Charles determined that it was time for him to leave.

Charles said his goodbyes to Bailey, who thanked him for the help, and started for the next flower shop.

Mulling the whole experience over, he was glad that he met the reynard. She was definitely something, definitely memorable. She had the makings of a good friend, he could feel it. If only the interaction between them yielded any new information about the supposed conspiracy.

His next stop—upon the vixen’s request—was  a store that went by the name _Flora and Fauna_. It was on the outskirts of another park on Grazer Street, which was simply named Grazer Park. It was also the park that held Little Rodentia, which was the rodent city within the big city. At the same time, Little Rodentia was also its own district, with its own police precinct, fire department, parks, train, and streets. It made up over half of Zootopia’s population of three and a half million mammals, which was considerably small for a rodent city. Normally, cities like Rodentia would be upwards of eight or eleven million.

Charles minded the ground and his surroundings to make sure he wasn’t about to step on someone, until eventually he arrived at the floristry.

He didn’t get a chance to properly observe, but compared to _Valentino’s,_ it was a lot cleaner. The area around the shop was nicer. There were mammals actually walking on the sidewalks. It felt lively. Then again, he was worried more about other things, such as Edward, the crucial information they desperately needed, and his own general safety.

The inside was similar to Bailey’s store, the only differences being the cleanliness, the organization, and the significant price increase on all items in stock. It was ludicrous. Minutes passed before he was helped, and by that time he got to see the empty display that would’ve stored Midnicampum Holicithias.

The pig who owned and managed the store didn’t provide any new information relevant to their case—there was a robbery, Midnicampum was the only item stolen, and there were none left at his store. Charles asked if anyone had spoken to him about purchasing the plant prior to the burglary. Unfortunately, he wasn’t certain. Charles made sure to ask if he could look into it and told the owner to call him back if they found out more.

 _Flora and Fauna_ sold the flower’s bulb at a premium, one-hundred fifty dollars a bulb, much more than the tiger was willing to pay by a mile. The owner explained that because of the rarity of finding someone willing to buy them and how difficult they were to find, stock, and sell, the plant sat on the shelf. In fact, before the robbery, the product hadn’t been moved for months.

Another store on the list provided by Anders had a similar experience two weeks before. Located a few streets down and owned by a family of stags, Charles expected something different. This time, however, they confirmed that someone attempted to purchase all they had in stock for one-hundred dollars. The owner didn’t budge on the price, and a couple days after, the entire stock was stolen right from under them. Charles asked them if they could call him if they found out who it was, which they agreed to.

The store after that was unaware of the string of robberies targeting floral shops. They and Charles agreed that this must’ve been a recent occurrence, though Charles had his reservations.

Planning something this big took time. Getting materials, funding, and help wasn’t something that they would just glance over. Whoever was abusing these Nighthowlers was smart. Or was there more than one mammal behind this? Charles needed more information to know for sure.

Hours passed with nothing new coming to light. Most stores couldn’t stock Midnicampum on their shelves—claiming that they normally did—while others didn’t sell any whatsoever. It didn’t mean that they hadn’t received calls from this mysterious stranger, so they still needed checking. There were only three other stores that were broken into, one of which received a call about someone willing to purchase the bulbs, but to no avail. That was out of twelve locations. Charles was nearing three-fourths done with his list, and it was around four-thirty in the afternoon. Most stores were in the midst of wrapping up their business for the day, which meant that he would have to save the rest for another day. Still, he needed something groundbreaking to make today worthwhile.

The tiger checked his phone again. Other than the texts about the various locations, Anders apparently had nothing more to say. For all Charles knew, he was trying to get some rest.

He looked at the text chain below Anders’s. A sigh emptied from his lungs. _Nothing from Edward,_ he frowned.

Unwilling to look at his phone any longer, Charles stuffed it away into his blazer and stepped into the store in front of him.

The light, pastel colors of the store reflected the bayside atmosphere it was located in, the beach and waters of the Zootopian Bay just outside the shop across the street. It rivaled the Burrow’s infatuation with using pastels.

After a quick introduction, he was helped begrudgingly by a sheep named Carl standing behind the counter.

He didn’t like Carl.

Getting the male ewe to agree to his questions without any of his own was a challenge, but he agreed to answer them despite his reservations.

Charles was keen on making them quick. Neither of them wanted to be where they were. The store owner made that fact perfectly clear with his body language and scowl. The scowl wasn’t the first Charles had received today, and he already knew why, so it didn’t surprise him as much as it did dampen his spirits. What he didn’t want from this exchange was a stubborn mammal, and the store owner undoubtedly looked the part.

He really didn’t like Carl.

His first question asked if he stocked Midnicampum Holicithias in his store. It gained him a reaction he wasn’t expecting.

The moment he uttered those words, the ewe’s expression noticeably shifted, albeit a slight break in his surly demeanor. Was it shock? Worry? Whatever emotion it was, it clearly told Charles that something was up.

The ewe inquired why he was asking about the flower, to which the tiger replied with the lie he had been telling all day: his friend had just bought a farm and was shopping for his birthday.

At first, the shopkeep didn’t believe him. “Isn’t that a little pricey for a gift?”

Charles retorted, “Not if it’s for someone who’s been my friend for as long as I can remember. He also saved my life once, if that amounts to anything.”

The ewe grumbled. “Well, as much as I hate to say it,” he said with faux sincerity, “we don’t have any Midnicampum in stock at the moment, and I’m not sure if we’ll have any more in stock by the time you need it.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind if it’s delayed by a couple days,” the tiger sniggered.

“You’re not the only one who’s looking for that bulb, Mr. Clawson.”

“I didn’t know that there were farmers in Zootopia.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Would you mind telling me who’s looking to buy your stock?”

“What makes you think I know who it is?”

The tiger flashed a confused look the ewe’s way. “What do you mean?”

He grumbled. “Look, I don’t know what you’re getting at, but here’s all I got: Whoever keeps buying my stock has more money to burn than Geoff Hayzos. He buys the bulbs at top dollar, then sends other mammals to pick them up rather than come themselves. Even if I did know the guy’s name, it’d probably be some sort of alias to protect his identity.”

“Doesn’t this seem super shady to you?”

“What my paying customers do with my product is none of my business.”

Charles shook his head and conceded. “Does this alias have a name?”

“I think the last one he used was… something- _howler,_ or something like that.”

The feline didn’t bother writing down the information so he didn’t clue the shopkeeper into what he was investigating. Though, it was the closest he’d come to finding whoever this was so far.

“Is there anything else you know about this mammal?”

He shook his head. “No. I don’t. Why are you so interested in this guy anyways? You hoping to strike some sort of deal with him or something?”

“If I have to. Maybe he’ll let some of the product slide for my friend.”

“Yeah, sure. Good luck with that.” The door chimed open behind them, Charles turning to see an elderly rabbit walking inside. “I hate to cut our conversation short, but if you’re done wasting my time, I’ve got a customer to help.”

“Sure,” Charles agreed, stepping towards the exit. “If you hear or learn anything about your buyer, call me with the number I gave you.”

“If you’re expecting me to save some product for you, Mr. Clawson, then you better have some serious dough if you want to beat his offer.”

He loathed Carl’s very existence.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Carl.”

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

Paw and hoof tightened together as the two bodies neared the closest self-defense shop to their home. It had taken Sharla close to an hour to calm the wolf back down and bring him back to Earth. The only time she saw him this distraught was when they were in the hospital two weeks ago. The optimism and glow to his personality had all but went dark, his cobalt eyes glassed over with melancholy.

They allowed an hour of their day to get some brunch and coffee into their systems and plan the next part of their day, which was arguably the toughest challenge their marriage had yet faced.

They managed to find a self-defense store through a quick Zoogle search that was five minutes away from their apartment complex, appropriately named _Savannah Central Defense._ It was a quaint location, a normal town building with natural-looking accents riddled throughout, around four to five stories high. Copious amounts of five-star reviews.

Edward asked if she wanted to go after they ate, to which she agreed, and now they were steps away from setting foot inside the store.

Sharla looked up to her husband before entering, who looked utterly shattered. She glumly surveyed his face. It was as if the rest of the world could’ve been on fire for all he cared; it meant nothing to him at the moment. And although Edward was partially aware of his surroundings (thanks to his ears), he was beginning to fall behind—something that Edward normally didn’t do with her. He favored being out in front, leading her. Now Sharla was leading their two-mammal pack.

It was difficult for her to see him so soulless. Past holding her mate’s paw, what could she possibly do to mend an obliterated spirit? She felt useless.

Before she had the chance to answer her question, both Sharla and Edward had stepped through the pair of automatic sliding doors and into the store proper.

Once inside, she found her train of thought lost to what lay before her.

They were met with shelves and displays filled with a vast arsenal of gadgets, equipment, and electronics made to deter any mammal from unwanted confrontation, or to make the user feel safer from whatever life decided to throw their way. The store wasn’t as big as she expected it to be. A giraffe would have to crane their neck just to fit inside.

Right at the front near the entrance was a bright pink metal display, tiered with different-sized cans for mammals of any size. It was a new product from a company called Dragon’s Breath, the advertising showcasing a new formula of what appeared to be pepper spray, Fox-Away. _Fox_ repellent.

The sight of the product made Sharla’s lip curl. Why would anyone need such a thing? Why not get regular pepper spray? It was essentially the same thing. And why foxes in particular? They might look sneaky and conniving, but surely that didn’t mean all foxes were bad. Who in their right mind would buy or use something so blatantly speciesist like that? Again, the answers would never come.

She thought up a distasteful joke about having it when she was little, relinquished the thought of destroying property that wasn’t hers no matter how much she wanted to, and left it at that.

Past the display at the front were aisles dedicated to specific types of products: home security systems, cameras, safes, pepper sprays, even self-defense kits and keychains that resembled cats. They were cute.

Off to the far right of the store was a windowed display shelf filled with tasers and gun-like holsters for specific brands of pepper spray. She half expected there to be firearms in the store, but she quickly remembered the ban put in place years ago.

Along the wall behind the store counter was a variety of batons, varying in size, look, shape, and  design. Some were designed to be hidden to the user, while others were simply plain and wooden, something for inside the home if the ewe had to guess.

Standing on the other side of the counter was a brown bear. He was on the heavier side, his tucked-in black polo managing to make himself appear thinner than he actually was. The bear was tall, his head nearly reaching the ceiling. He was smiling behind a pair of rimless glasses, and his brown irises were staring the couple down. It was then she realized that she and her husband still had their hoof and paw together.

Wait… why did she care?

“Hey-ya,” the bear spoke in a clear baritone, grounding Sharla’s current thoughts. His accent sounded like he came from up north, a stereotypical Canidian if she had to guess. She tried her best to focus. “Don’t think I’ve seen you two around here before. This your first time?”

“Yes,” the ewe said plainly.

“Great! Welcome to _SCD_. My name is Tyrell, or Ty for short. We’re one of the oldest home and self-defense stores in the city, founded in 1906. Our goal here is to provide help and assist anyone who doesn’t feel completely safe. We are in the big city after all.” The bear leaned in close with his arms on the counter, and asked, “What can I help you with today?”

Sharla blinked at the question, processing it, trying to formulate a response of some kind. She didn’t want to offend the bruin in any way. He, like Edward, was a predator. How could she word it?

“Um,” the word awkwardly slipped out, “we were looking… I mean, _I_ was looking for… something—”

“We were hoping to purchase something in light of the recent events to help better protect my wife in case something were to happen.”

Sharla’s eyelids opened fully. She was shocked. Why was she? Why was she so anxious? She felt suddenly hyper aware of her surroundings.

She first looked to her mate, who held a stoic expression through the slight tint of red in his eyes from earlier. He seemed relatively calm. He didn’t appear angry, or upset. What about telling some stranger about their marriage? Was this his confidence? She gripped his paw tighter.

Where was hers?

Sharla looked to the grizzly, whose gaze glanced to the ewe then back to the lupine. When his smile didn’t falter, she felt a little bit at ease.

“Anything in particular you were looking for?” he said soothingly to the both of them.

“I…” she stammered, “I don’t know… I’m not sure—”

“It’s okay, hon, I got you,” Edward said. He turned to the bear. “What would you recommend? With everything going on, I think I’d trust an expert before I trust myself, you know?”

“Understandable,” he agreed. “I have to warn you two though, some of this stuff can be very dangerous if you don’t know how to properly use ‘em, not to mention that they could cause some serious damage.”

She knew that last part was meant for Edward. He still wasn’t smiling, and his ears were tilted slightly backward. She half expected him to back down. But, he defied expectations yet again.

“As long as my mate feels safe,” the lupine spoke, “then I can take it.”

Half stunned and half eager to make a sale, the bear stood up straight. “Once we get everything settled, I can offer a demonstration of each product if you like.”

If Edward’s fur wasn’t blocking his face, they would surely notice the color drain from it at that very instant. Ty was able to spot his fear straight away.

“And don’t worry, we’ve got some test dummies in the back, in case you were worried about these tests being conducted on you.”

A silent sigh escaped Edward’s lungs. “We’d be more than happy to take you up on that,” Edward nodded.

“Great! Let's start with something simple first…”

The bear escorted them to the third aisle parallel to the counter—where the self-defense products began—and showed them the first item, which was one of the cat-looking keychains Sharla saw earlier. The item was pretty self-explanatory: the user put the metal keychain on their key ring and, with its two big eyeholes, it could then be used for close-range encounters. The item came in both cat and wolf variations. She ended up picking up one of the wolf ones that was painted grey, finding it oddly satisfying that it resembled Edward, even if it was minimal.

On the other side of the aisle were wireless, phone-operated cameras, an extension of the aisle prior if she had to guess, but the bear didn’t bother explaining the cameras, let alone acknowledging them considering the couple’s needs.

They followed the bear to the next aisle, and they were met with products meant to stun foes at close range, similar to how the keychain operated. She picked one of those out as well, limiting herself to things that were easily portable.

What came next after that were pepper sprays and repellents. The way the bear put it, they were practically the same thing.

Sharla was taken aback at the vast amount of products available. The most she expected was a quarter of the shelves, not both sides of the aisle.

Considering that one of the brands was labeled _Wolf-Away,_ she could tell that this wasn’t going to be pretty. Her heart was close to breaking, but when she looked back to Edward and saw that he was warily eyeing the can she was looking at, his ears close to becoming flush with his skull, it finally began splitting in two. The situation was becoming increasingly real by the second.

It didn’t feel right. Not one bit.

Regardless of how much she wanted to object, she opted for something general and left it at that. She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Their final stop was back at the counter. Batons, tasers, holsters, and gun mounts for pepper spray canisters were all that was left.

The bear stayed with them and went through his rundown of what each item did in detail, with the exception of the batons. Classes including boxing, martial arts, and paw-to-paw combat were available at their store as well.

Then came the explanation on their tasers.

Tasers were used by the ZPD as a last resort to subdue aggressors and suspects who had no intention of complying. Prongs would shoot out of the yellow and black-striped area at the front of the weapon, embed themselves into the attacker, and immobilize them without causing major damage if done correctly. The device had a maximum voltage of fifty-thousand while soaring through the air, but when the plugs hit their mark and imbedded themselves into a mammal, the voltage topped off at only twelve hundred.

Looking to her wolf, Sharla noticed how low his tail actually was. Edward looked terrified of the idea.

“...In accordance to city law,” the shopkeeper spoke, pulling out a binder full of papers, “I can’t sell you a taser without having you go through a background check, plus some proper training.”

The ewe was passed a step stool to reach the top of the counter. Once perched atop the stool, she began looking through the document as he continued.

“The training for the tasers is performed on site by an ex-ZPD Officer on the second floor, room one.  The class is only a couple hours long and shows a quick demonstration of the weapon.”

Sharla took the pen into her hoof, looked at it, then turned to her mate, mildly curious to find out his insight on whether or not this was a good idea..

“Are you sure we need something like this? Even if you… you know…” She grimaced, the thought unbearable to imagine. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

After a brief hesitation, he smiled.

“Sorry if I sound like a broken record here… or a little cliche, but I think we should go for it. Regardless if it’s me or some other predator, you need to be able to defend yourself. Your safety is more important to me than living with the danger of me or another mammal hurting you, hon. Besides, it's one of the most effective tools out there. How bad could it be? It shouldn’t be more than just a shock, right?”

“It’s about two-thousand times worse,” the bear clarified with frightening levels of nonchalance.

Edward cleared his throat. “It’s not the end of the world. I couldn’t hate or judge you for something like this. You’re my mate, Shar. We got married for a reason. Nothing will change that fact.”

Forlorn, she turned back to the booklet on the counter, staring at the first blank space on the open page. She lingered on his words, doubting that he wouldn’t hate her for her blatant fear. If she didn’t feel bad before, that exchange was the final nail in the coffin.

The bear pushed the book closer to the sheep. “Just sign on the first spot here and I’ll get you in for next Saturday’s class.”

Sharla gripped the pen tighter and held it above the first open line on the document. The font, style, and its officialness screamed that it came straight from the state government. Once her name was written in, she would begin her state registration as a carrier of a taser, a weapon.

A _weapon._ The very notion of owning one sounded foreign to her.

Why did she need this? Sure, it was to protect her from predators who had the possibility of going savage, but what justified having it on her person? To flaunt around to predators on the street? To show them that she meant business? She was confident, but she wasn’t arrogant. She knew her own shortcomings better than anyone.

Sharla threw the pen to the side with disgust. This was _wrong._ All she felt now was shame. How stupid could she be? She nearly used fear to justify buying a weapon. Even if the weapon didn’t do any physical damage, it was still a weapon. She felt no different than those speciest protestors at Savannah Central Park.

Edward was stunned. “Hon, are your sure—”

“Let’s just take the keychains and go.”

Tyrell nodded and completed the purchase for the couple, who quickly made their exit after a short goodbye. Even if the realization was super late, she managed to find her resolve.

She would never make that mistake again.

 

**_o  o  o_ **

 

“...Mutton chops.”

“I wouldn’t worry, Dawn. Right now everything’s fine. If this tip is true, it’d be another day for us. It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, we just haven’t told you.”

She was appalled. “How can you call the exposure of this entire operation fine? You’re delusional. If we get found out, not only will my promising career as a politician get thrown out the window, but we’ll be thrown in jail.”

“I understand the situation. _This_ is why we haven’t told you.”

“Do you?”

“If I didn’t, I would be stupid to try talking with you. Trust us on this one. Woolter, Jessie, and I have it covered. We only just got the tip from one of our suppliers a few minutes ago.”

“And? What did he say?”

Doug put his phone on speaker, set it down on something—making a soft ‘ _thud_ ’ on Dawn's end of the line—and ruffled through some papers.

“He told us that a couple guys were asking about purchasing some Nighthowlers for a friend. It doesn’t sound like they know anything about us, but from what I’ve heard, they’ve been skulking around all the flower shops in Savannah Central.”

“And you’re positive they don’t know anything?”

“...Now that I’m looking over the notes… no, I’m going to say ‘not definitively.’ With what our friend told us, it doesn’t _seem_ like they’re onto anything, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they had a clue.”

The female ewe ground her teeth together. How could someone be onto their plan? It was foolproof. They took all the steps to keep this under the radar. And something like this almost happened before? She wasn’t going to drop this. No, she needed to stop this.

“We need to take care of this.”

“I don’t see why we should bother. Maybe all they know is slim at best?”

“Slim could still mean enough to get us shut down for good,” Dawn grumbled. “Even if one mammal knows, we’re put at risk. If these mammals get any closer and inform the ZPD, we’ll have to back off, and then the entire plan is ruined. No shock collars, and no bringing preds to our level.”

“I know, I know,” he whined. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t check it out. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t tell me not to worry about it, buster!” she nearly screamed. Remembering she was still in the office, she lowered her volume, “It’s our livelihoods on the line, and more importantly, mine. I know you don’t give a hoot about anything, but I do. You better fix this—no, you’re _going_ to fix this, or I’ll make sure that you and your friends are the only ones going down.”

A metallic click sounded over the smartphone’s speaker. “You don’t need to tell me twice.”

When the call ended, Dawn closed the phone shut and gripped it tight. She hoped they weren’t too late.


	18. Gut-Punch

Edward navigated through a familiar rainforest-themed hallway. It was silent apart from the digital sounds of the various monitors and the hushed talkings of the mammals around him. He felt awfully comfortable with it, which spawned darker, conflicting emotions. After spending a total of a month navigating the floor, he felt that he knew it well enough to know where he was going.

The canid passed the many vacant-looking rooms before spotting the floor's receptionist—a doe named Diana—doing paperwork and taking calls at her desk.

Edward waved to the caramel-colored rabbit. She looked up and stared at him for a moment, then promptly glanced back down, shuffling through leaflets of paper and navigating through whatever was on the computer screen. Edward almost took it negatively, but shook it off. She looked busy.

What remained strangely unfamiliar to him, however, was the variety of other mammals that populated the room. What made it stranger was that they seemed almost completely oblivious to his presence, resulting in a few near misses. He imagined they were lost in thought, but some seemed a bit more intentional than others. Was this because of the Nighthowlers?

Edward did what he normally would do around others and made sure to keep his distance from other mammals. He didn't want to get in the way of the other patients, visitors, or the doctors and their equipment, and he wasn't too keen on making conversation either.

Edward peered at the room numbers along the wall, passing rooms by left and right until he reached the room labeled _438_. Under the room number was the clipboard sitting in its holder on the wall. He didn't acknowledge it. He already knew who would be inside the room.

The lupine went up to the open doorway, knocked lightly on the door to announce his presence, then stepped through into the room. He rounded the corner. Then, he saw her.

The smiling, snow-white she-wolf already had her gleeful eyes trained on Edward behind her pair of purple, rectangular glasses. A book lay closed in her lap atop the blanket over her waist. The bed was angled in a way so she could sit up comfortably. Her hospital gown was neat and tidy, and her fur was neat and trimmed. She looked better in a way, almost as if she were ready to work back on the farm, like when he was younger. Was this his eyes playing tricks on him?

"Hello, sweetheart," she finally spoke.

"Hi, Mom," came his weak, teary reply. He was trying his best to give a full smile, in spite of the break in his voice.

"It's good to see you again. Please," she gestured to the chair, "sit."

The younger wolf did what he was told and sat down next to the side of the bed. Once seated, he stayed silent, not taking his eyes off of her.

"So what brings you here, Ed? It's a nice Friday evening, you should be spending it with your wife. Where is she?"

The male wolf's ears stood at attention, then looked around. Charolete was right, his mate wasn't with him. Edward was puzzled. Sharla would normally come with him to visit the hospital, as it was important to both of them that they visit Charolete as much as they could.

He sighed. "I'm… not sure."

"Well, I'm sure we can work that out together," she grinned, taking her glasses off and setting them on top of her closed book. "Hasn't been the first time we've forgotten something, hasn't it?"

"No," Edward chuckled.

A couple chuckles filled in the she-wolf's throat, then she went straight to something else. "Have you heard what's happening in the city?"

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy."

"Predators going savage," she shuddered. "I can't imagine the thought. Becoming something so… primal." She paused. "How's Sharla holding up?"

Edward's eyes lost their focus on his mother as his heart grew ever so heavy. His smile wavered as he muttered, "She's been a little weird lately because of it. But, it's nothing that we can't work through."

"Is it because she's afraid of you?"

The look of surprise on Edward's muzzle was irrepressible. What did she just say?

"...What?" Edward let out. "Afraid of me? She said she could never be afraid of me…"

"Oh, she's afraid of you, hon. Trust me. It's pretty obvious."

"T-that's a pretty big conclusion, Mom. Maybe you're misunderstood. She's only afraid of what I could become, not me—"

"That's what she wants you to think. Something to calm the little pup down before she gives him the devastating news."

For what seemed like the first time in Edward's life, he felt ashamed of how daft he was. Charolete couldn't be right. Right?

"Oh, she's scared of _all_ of you," she scoffed. "Look at the way she looks at you now. The thought of you turning scared the daylights out of her. She knows it's only inevitable that either you turn or somemammal goes on the attack. And that's not even the worst part. She fears that she spent all that time with a mammal who's just going to end up either dead, behind a cell, or savage. Imagine how spiteful she feels. She'll never love you the same. She'll never look at you the same. She wants someone _strong_ , a real alpha."

"Stop!"

Now standing, he heard his shout resonate throughout the room. His fists were clenched, eyes as wide as saucers. His mother was silent.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Did the doctors give you anything today? You'd never say anything like that."

Before she had the chance to answer, he continued with increased fervor.

"Sharla loves me. She loves all of me. I know that she doesn't hate me for something I can't control, and surely enough moxy to break things off if that were the case. I know we can get through this. She's strong. I'm strong. Nothing can change that. And if we can… or, rather, once we make it through this tough time, I know that we'll be even stronger. "

Edward turned away from Charolete, whose expression remained unchanged during the rant, and put his paw on the end of the bed. Tears built in the male's eyes. In that moment, the only mammal who fought for him and loved him became everything he despised and fought against for years. Edward wasn't about to indulge the she-wolf further. Walking away felt like his only option now.

He took in a sharp breath and sharpened his resolve, taking the first step towards the door.

Only, he didn't make it past that step.

In that moment, he felt something hard pounce at his back, knocking him down to the floor. The shock of the jolt left Edward reeling for air, as the wind had nearly been knocked out of him from the sudden attack. But, all he could do was wheeze and fear for his life as he tried crawling for the door. Then, he realized what had happened.

His mother just attacked him.

Edward didn't get far before he was pulled by the foot of his jeans by what felt like teeth. He could feel the warm breath of the she-wolf through the seams of his pants leg amongst the growls growing in her chest.

The male lupine was flipped over with a hearty tug, and was met with the light blue eyes of his mother. In the place where her pupils would be were those menacing black slits, frighteningly similar to a savage mammal.

She slowly stepped forward on all fours, Edward's heart pounding faster and louder than ever before. With each step, her eyes kept on changing. The blue in her gaze was vanishing, a dark, pure shade of purple taking its place until she was right on top of him, close enough so he could see the yellow accents in her irises. The world around them felt smaller and smaller. Each step made him realize how close to the end he was. He couldn't scream. He couldn't breath. He couldn't do anything to save himself.

So, Edward did the only thing he could do and kept his body as close to the ground as possible.

She growled.

_"WHERE'S YOUR STRENGTH NOW, RUNT?!"_

Charolete's mouth opened, revealing her fangs, then… she lunged for his throat…

Unable to look away, he braced for impact…

"...!"

Edward felt his entire body jolt. He froze, labored breathing all he could muster. His cobalt eyes darted around the room in a slight panic, searching desperately for his savage mother. But, clearly, there was no trace of her. The hospital was no more. Questions of what happened began to flourish, and at the same time, reality slowly started to set in.

The lupine was in his apartment. Instead of being on the floor, he was sitting on the couch. Across the small room, the television illuminated the space, quietly playing some vintage horror movie that he couldn't identify. Out the window was the darkened sky and cityscape of Zootopia. The clock on the dresser read that it was just past eleven o'clock at night. There was something else as well.

With a slight shuffle and light groan, Edward saw Sharla get comfortable after his jolt, still trying her best to remain curled up beside him the same way she had before his unintentional slumber. Her snout was nuzzled right up against his hip, her arm under his shirt and wrapped around him. She couldn't get any closer to him if she tried. Edward smiled. She looked so adorable.

The wolf gently moved his arm from the top of the back cushion and rested it around his mate. She smiled and nestled closer.

_It was just a nightmare_ , he finally confirmed with a sigh. Sharla would never leave him, and he'd be damned to leave her. They needed each other. It's what made them both strong—

Cutting through the near silence in the room, Edward's cell phone started to lightly vibrate in his left pocket. It took him a moment to maneuver his body in a way that didn't wake Sharla, but he managed to nab the device and stand up with little effort.

When he glanced at the contact, he grimaced. Edward regretted ever getting up in the first place.

_Charles Clawson - Cell._

The lupine stifled a groan and threw his head back to face the tall ceiling. Not expecting a call from Charles tonight was wishful thinking. No matter how much he didn't want to talk with him, their investigation wouldn't—or rather couldn't—wait. They probably needed him to run through data and write more information in their report. If Edward had the choice, he would just take the day off and recharge to prepare himself to face his friend again.

Would it be fair to Anders? He spent so long working alongside them, compiling everything they knew and learned since the beginning of their investigation. How would he react if Edward bailed right at the start?

Edward felt the phone stop vibrating in his paw and brought his head back forward, just in time for a new notification.

_Voicemail (1) - Charles Clawson - Cell._

A quiet sigh left his snout. Edward stared at the notification, then shrugged. He tapped the screen and brought the phone to his ear.

_"Hey Ed, just wanted to call to see if you were alright. If you know where Anders is, shoot me a call. He's about an hour late for our meeting. I'm starting to get worried. Oh, and I wanted to say how sorry I am for…"_

Edward allowed the rest of the voicemail to play out. The phone in his paw was at his side. He wasn't listening anyway. He was too caught up in thought, still hung up on the fact that Anders was late for something.

In all the time he knew the editor, Anders made it prudent that both he and others be as timely as possible. He was never late for anything.

His colleague described it as this: "If I'm going to take time out of my day, time in my life that I'll never get back, I expect someone to have the same respect as I do."

If Anders planed out his lunches a week in advance, he'd plan out his entire life if he could. How on Earth did he continue working with their research, let alone sleep? Edward didn't have a clue. There wasn't any way he could do it. The most he was able to accomplish was his doctor and dentist appointments. Life was way too random to plan every aspect.

Edward brought the phone back to waist height and began tapping away.

_Might as well try the obvious first_ , he thought. Was it strange that he was beginning to panic? He brought the phone up to his ear and listened patiently to the dial tone. He waited. And waited. After thirty seconds, on the eighth ring, the call went to his voicemail.

Now he was certain about his unease. First Anders's tardiness, now lack of communication? Charles was right. Something was wrong.

Edward left a simple message, asking the swine to give him a call as soon as he could. He also sent a text verbatim of that message as soon as he finished. For a minute he stood in the room in silence, mind wandering outside at the cityscape while maintaining awareness of the dark screen on his phone.

_Bzz-Bzz-Bzzzz…_

Another message received. Although he had hope, it wasn't Anders. It was Charles. What followed made his stomach churn.

_"Get over here, quick. Make sure you aren't followed. If you are, call the cops."_

_Followed? Cops?_ Edward thought. _What the hell is going on?_

**_o  o  o_ **

Anders tugged on his black polo and locked the door behind him. Wallet, keys, phone, and his notes on their case. With his normal checklist accounted for, he flew down the stairs and out of his apartment complex into the street outside. He yawned, then checked the time on his phone.

"Nine-fifteen," he whispered to no one in particular. He mulled it over.

Even on a slow day, he should be able to make it to Charles's apartment by ten o'clock. This meant stopping for something to eat was possible. Starving himself since noon wasn't what he had in mind, but with their investigation taking up their time, there wasn't time to rest.

First, he texted Charles that he was on his way and that he was getting some grub. Then, he looked both ways, crossed the street to cut down on time, and briskly walked down Maw Avenue with phone in hoof.

Working for the majority of the day, from five in the morning up until now, was mentally taxing. And after all that he'd done in the past twenty-four hours, he wasn't finished. When both he and Charles were set to convene—Edward was a no show, with no explanation given by either him or Charles—they would show what information they had gained from the phone calls and the meetings and put them into a web document, ready to be written out by Edward at a later date.

As per their agreement, everything they had was on their group cloud storage rather than having it on anything physical apart from that notebook Charles always carried around. It was safer that way, and Anders loved technology, so he didn't have any complaints.

Anders, now ready to head out, began his trek to the diner a block away, where his online order would be patiently waiting for him.

The chime of Anders's phone reached the swine's ears, and he instinctively pulled it back out. It was a reply from Charles.

_"Sounds good. Whatcha getting?"_

He smiled, then typed away.

_"That Thai place on Elm, Thaitopia. Want anything?"_

The swine sheathed the device back in his pocket. He started to wonder how much progress they'd made since yesterday as he turned the corner onto Elm. They had to have at least made a dent in their investigation. Even if it was minute, it would still be leagues and bounds better than what the police had now.

The rumble of his stomach pulled him away from the topic, and made him once again eager for food.

Once he picked up his potato curry, he'd have to go a little further down Elm, around a corner, down an alley, inside a complex, up some stairs, down a hallway, and he would finally be at Charles's place.

The phone buzzed again.

_"No, I'm good. I ate some Italian. Got some leftovers to pick at for later."_

_"Haha, suit yourself. Gonna be super jealous when I walk in."_

His stomach growled at the thought of his piping hot dish. It had been a while since his last trip. He knew that it would be just as good as the last. Those tigers knew how to cook.

_I wonder if the Srijan's will give me some extra potato this time—_

Anders didn't even get the thought out. Something had bit him hard on the neck.

"Ow! Stupid bugs."

The swine went behind his neck with a hoof to investigate. He didn't hear anything, or feel anything land on him initially, which was off-putting. When he brushed the bite, he found something solid. It dug into his flesh. When he brought the object in front of him, he couldn't begin to comprehend it.

What he had in the palm of his hoof was a tranquilizer dart.

"Shi—"

Out of an alleyway to his left, a figure appeared from his left for a split second. Before he could process the fear that made his adrenaline skyrocket, the mammal, clad in a thick hoodie, swung their balled, gloved fist into Anders's stomach.

The sudden jab lifted him right off of his feet, and caused him to stumble forward onto the ground. His phone clattered away from him. A coughing fit plagued his throat as he tried to shake himself out of his dazed state. The world spun. The second thought that came to him was that one time in Pandusky when he went to an amusement park to ride the one-hundred twenty-five mile an hour roller coaster named the Dragster. If there was anything in his stomach, he'd surely have thrown up by now.

It paled in comparison to the first thought, which was the fear that this was his last hour on this Earth.

"Oh god. Oh god. Oh my god," he desperately repeated. He wanted to cry.

Was this where he was going to die? Was this it? Was this from his research into the Nighthowlers? He was almost certain it was. Had he spent his time wisely?

_Don't panic. Don't panic,_ he scolded himself. It still didn't quell his fear. _Focus. Get information. Who is this guy? What does he want? How can I get out this?_

Anders shook uncontrollably. He knew that there wasn't much time. The dart was going to heavily affect him soon, so he needed to get away.

The pig attempted turning his head to get a better look at whoever his attacker was while also trying to crawl onto his feet, but the attempt was futile. Another punch made contact with the left side of his head. The pain was minimized thanks to the tranquilizer in his system. Anders could taste blood.

_I'm going to die._

Fortunately, he wasn't knocked out yet, which he found comical, and he knew trying to escape had become an impossibility. He kept thinking about how these might be his last moments. Had he done everything a mammal should? Not really. He was gearing up for getting married and having kids, which he could've seen happening if this whole Nighthowler situation didn't get so big.

The pain from the second punch began to throb. Momentarily, he thought of escaping again. Crawling away wasn't an option anymore. He was already starting to lag behind mentally. Physically, the attacker would be able to catch him in a heartbeat. If only he were a track star or remotely fit. Sure, he was skinny, but in this instance he was still too slow.

Anders surrendered himself to whoever was attacking him and lay motionless on the sidewalk, allowing the figure to drag him into the alleyway he came out of.

_That tranq is strong... are these what the Feds use?_

The question echoed in his thoughts behind the dulled pain. What annoyed him the most besides inevitable doom was that with his average deduction skills, he wasn't able to properly ID his perp. Considering how bulky he was, a sheep perhaps? Who knew. It didn't matter.

His thoughts were starting to wander and lessen as he accepted his inevitable fate. Consciousness was becoming harder to grasp.

Anders recalled the many happy memories he had stored in his mind—his parents, building his first computer, getting his degree, landing his job at the Gazette, meeting Kristy for the first time…

He paused, then frowned. Perhaps his only regret. _Damn. I never had the guts… to tell her…_

Slowly but surely, his heavy eyelids had closed shut. After that, was silence.

**_o  o  o_ **

When Edward arrived at the tiger's complex, the hallway leading to the apartment was deathly quiet. Not even a television could be heard, not to mention that it was also dark. It would've been fine for his predatorial ability to naturally see in the dark, except one of the fluorescent lights hanging on the ceiling was obnoxiously flickering a couple rooms down. The moment his eyes would adjust to the dark, he'd get a bright, blinding flash of light, then back to darkness.

The lupine shivered, a sudden chill in the air preventing his advance. Why was it so cold and creepy?

A second passed him by. Then three. On the sixth, he let out a calm breath and kept walking down to Charles's room.

The wolf passed by a couple doors leading to other apartments, eyes transfixed on the light fixture above his head until it was up and past him. Edward took a quick peek over his shoulder. However, the more the light flashed, his quick glance turned into a sluggish gander.

A moment later, after confirming there was no one, he sped down faster than he'd like to admit towards Charles's door. Edward flicked his left ear in the direction of the hall, the other towards Charles's place. Still no one. Why was he so worried? Charles lived in a great neighborhood. Why would anyone dare tarnish that?

Edward only got one knock in before the door threw itself open.

Peering behind it was a blazerless Charles Clawson. The tiger looked him up and down, then said, "Get in."

Edward waltzed inside while Charles stuck his head out into the hallway, checking both sides before closing it shut. The locking mechanisms followed with an audible thunk and the chain with a light shink. Light was scarce, thanks in part to the drawn curtains over the windows and the light above the dining room. If it didn't reek of garlic and Edward wasn't here strictly for business purposes, the inviting atmosphere would've put him straight to sleep.

"Are you sure no one followed you?" the tiger asked, pulling a phone out of his pants pocket.

"I'm sure," Edward confirmed quizzically.

When Charles aimed his attention at his phone instead of him, Edward frowned and came up close to him, gently pulling the phone down with a pained look.

"I still don't know what's going on, you know? It would make me feel better if you would bring me in the loop instead of playing 'twenty questions' like I'm a little pup. It's our friend and colleague we're talking about here. What's going on with Anders, and why were you worried about me being followed?"

Charles and Edward locked glances for a short moment. The lupine couldn't help but notice the hollowness in his face, and the hints of red strain in the whites of his eyes. Even the rise and fall of his chest seemed faster.

"..."

Crimson flushed into Edward's ears and face as he realized how close he was. Personal space, Eddy, he scolded himself. _Don't get any stupid ideas. He broke your heart before, and again today. Step back._

The lupine awkwardly turned his head and stepped back a couple steps, bringing his arms close. The canid predator waited eagerly for Charles to speak or do anything to explain the ambiguity. However, despite his plea, Charles refused to open his maw. If Edward knew any better, he assumed he was being ignored. Anger built like a fire in his chest.

Claws tapped furiously on the smartphone's brightly lit screen, and before Edward could muster some sort of criticism to quell the annoyance building in his head, Charles passed the device to him.

Cobalt eyes were quizzically locked onto the phone. It was still on, and from the look of it, appeared to be on a text chat.

_Why does he want me to look at his phone?_

Before the wolf had the opportunity to speak his mind, an impatient gesture forced him to make a snap decision. The lupine begrudgingly indulged him, of course, grabbing the device with a touch of venom. He was too kind to be assertive, but it didn't mean he couldn't be pissed about it. He still didn't know what was going on.

Edward wasted no time gluing his eyes to the screen, reading what was the text chat between Charles and Anders.

At the top was the end of an address and the beginning of a short conversation on the topic of food. Then came Charles's question of where Anders went, which was the last thing sent to their colleague. However, it wasn't the last message in the chain. A triad of replies followed.

_"We have your friend. Call us at the number below when you're alone so we can talk. You've got an hour._

_"I don't think I should have to mention not to involve the cops, we'll know. I think you'd hate to see what would happen."_

The last message was a tappable phone number. He read the message over, at first unsure of what he was looking at, then again once he put two and two together, mostly desperate that this was some sort of perverse joke. Then, reality hit.

Edward's heart dropped to the floor, and nearly himself with it. His chest pounded loudly in his ears. Vivid, lugubrious images of his coworker perpetrated his mind, the worst case scenarios.

This was a joke. An elaborate prank of some kind. No, that was wishful thinking at best. Charles wouldn't be acting the way he was without reason, and Anders wasn't the one to crack that kind of joke.

If this was real, could it be possible he was only hurt? Or was it something more severe?

The lupine could feel his breath hasten at the thought, his claws digging into both his palm and the device.

"Charles," he muttered in between breaths, "what the fuck is going on?"

"Ed…" The tiger shuffled over towards the lupine and attempted to take the phone from his paw. Edward shot the feline a glare, the hints of a growl rumbling in the air. Charles brought his paw close and took a few steps back.

"We spent today by going through the different flower stores in Zootopia," he explained. "We spoke to nearly every owner in the district. Because of that, I think we got too close."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"No, not 'how did he get taken.' I meant _'how did this happen,'_ Charlie," he venomously clarified. "There's no reason that we should've been found out so soon. It's the first day! All that should have happened today was research and light exploration, not full blown interviews. Even then, we shouldn't have clued them in on anything in regards to our research. How would they know about what we're doing? How'd they get your name?"

Silence and shame cut through the air like butter. Charles's head was turned away from Edward. It was like he couldn't look the wolf in the eye.

"We didn't falsify our names," the feline spoke in a near whisper.

A violent growl rose in Edward's chest. "You used your _real names?!_ Are you kidding me? The one thing we could've done to keep this on the downlow, and you screw it up. How could you?!"

"Keep it down Eddy—"

"No!" Edward yelled louder. The phone flew from his paw, embedding itself deep in the cushions of the couch. He was about to explode. "I've spent my whole life being quiet, letting everyone, including you, trample all over me!" Charles didn't attempt to reply. "This is bullshit! Because of your negligence, they know who we are and what we're doing. Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

The cat parked himself on the couch. "We're screwed, aren't we?"

"That's the thing," Edward shook his head, "it's not just about us. We're the last mammals they'll give a damn about. Take a wild guess who's next in line after Anders?"

"...Friends. Family."

"Exactly! I just made amends with my father yesterday. Now we put him, my sister, her kids, and my mate in these guys' crosshairs? You're one of the brightest mammals I know! How could you do something like this?"

"I'm sorry," his friend mumbled defeatedly.

"Just…" The lupine released a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't continue. Due in part to both his anxiety and rage, his predatory form became a personal earthquake. Everything felt cold. His arms wrapped around his body. "Let's try and focus on finding out who this is."

"You mean we're going to call them?"

"You think we have a choice? They have leverage, Charles. Anders's life is on the line, if he's still alive that is. We can't exactly rely on the police to help us either. You saw their message. The more time we waste, the longer they have him, so let's just see what they have to say. We aren't in a position to argue anyway."

Edward glanced over towards the kitchen counter, eyeing the single-serve coffee maker on the left side next to the stove. Another shiver ran down his spine.

Something warm. That's what he needed. A nice cup of joe to combat the chill in the air.

"I'm making a cup of coffee. Dig the phone out of the couch and let's give whoever this is a call."

The feline consented to the request without argument and began digging between the couch cushions for Anders's lifeline. Whirs of the coffee maker filled the room. The two predators took a melancholic beat to themselves.

Edward was still angry at Charles. After what happened earlier that day, the lupine's grit was far from performing at its peak. In the back of his mind, Edward wondered if he'd been too harsh on Charles. Blowing up in his friend's face wasn't his intention after such a long week—or rather month—of mental stress, but considering the circumstances of their predicament he felt justified. Then again, Charles warranted some argument.

They had been working all night. The three of them stayed up for eternity coming up with information and evidence to support their case, and were totally exhausted by the end of the night. Anders didn't even sleep. They hadn't even considered falsifying their names—at least, to his knowledge. Edward had his headphones in his ears the entire night they were working. If they had considered the possibility while he was working on the report, that time had long since passed.

It felt pointless to dread over it now. They made the error, and Anders was kidnapped. It was up to Edward and Charles to make this right. They had to make this right before the unthinkable could happen.

On the other side of the room, the cat stood up and looked at the phone in his paw. His eyes lingered on the screen for a moment, then turned thin, shooting their curious gaze at the canid mammal across the way. Edward looked lost in thought.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Hmm?" Edward sounded, focused on his coffee. He was unable to catch the question. "Sorry, I spaced out there."

Charles weakly chuckled. He was quieter than normal. "From pissed to gooftacular in no time flat. I thought you'd hate me after this morning. I didn't expect that you'd come."

"What was the question?" Edward asked, partially ignoring and acknowledging his friend's unwarrantedly warm tone.

"Aren't you afraid of what might happen?"

Another run of chills went down his spine. His coffee was nearly complete.

"I'm…" he slowly began. Mulling it over was slow, but the time to think helped the lupine understand what he was feeling. "...I'm terrified. The thought of another mammal getting hurt because of me… or even dying… I… can't put it into words. It's overwhelming, to say the least."

"It's okay," Charles nodded. The friendliness felt strange to hear still. "You're not alone. But, I'm sure that we can figure out some way to make things right. We just have to work together."

_Together…_

The word played back in the silver wolf's thoughts. It might as well have been something from a foreign language. Charles and Edward, working together. Would it ever feel the same? Simply standing in the same room with his friend felt awkward, the integrity of their friendship rocky at best, and their work life was all but gone. Another sigh left the canine's lungs. He didn't know.

But, maybe he could have a little faith. It wasn't like either of them had a choice now anyway.

"Yeah," Edward gave a half smile. "Together."

The tiger nodded and went back to the phone in his paw, prodding around until a dial tone sounded loudly through the phone's back speakers. Edward went back to his coffee in an effort to help calm whatever nerves were building up in the back of his mind.

For twenty-four seconds, the phone rang. On the twenty-fifth, the ring cut off and connected to the other end of the line with an audible fumble. Then, a scruffy, rough-sounding voice followed.

"About time. I almost thought you were gonna abandon him."


End file.
